On The Edge Of Yesterday
by Richard Ryley
Summary: The Sailor Scouts are caught in a complex plot involving time travel, ancient Japan, and the American Civil War. As their situation grows more desperate, each of the Scouts - and even the cats - find themselves facing a different emotional crisis.
1. Sea Voyage

The following story is based on an online RPG. The writer of the RPG, Daniel Harrison,   
had already written part of this fanfic, but then asked me to take over. I may rewrite   
the first four chapters some day, I have already cleaned up the first chapter a bit   
and deleted some paragraphs to pick up its pace a bit, but for now I'm happy to share   
writing credit with him. The storyline, after all, was entirely his creation.  
  
Unfortunately, I no longer am in contact with Daniel, and don't have his email address,   
so I am posting this without his permission, at least for now. I don't expect that he   
would have a problem with it, I posted it on a number of BBS's back in the day, with   
his okay.   
  
Sailor Moon and all related characters are copyright their owners, etc, etc.   
  
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HARRISON PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS....  
A SAILOR MOON ORIGINAL...  
  
"ON THE EDGE OF YESTERDAY!"  
Produced and Directed by:  
Daniel C. Harrison  
Written by: Daniel C. Harrison & Richard Ryley  
  
The Players:  
Sailor Moon: Audrey Seddon  
Tuxedo Mask: Sam Huynh/Derek Starr  
Sailor Mercury: Greg St. Pieere/Richard Ryley  
Sailor Venus: Brian Lee/Jimmy Khan  
Sailor Mars: Jake Krieger  
Sailor Jupiter: Karl Chu/Kaven Yen  
Luna: Priss Asagiri  
Artemis: Robert Richards  
Sailor Pluto: Daniel Harrison  
(All NPC's) Daniel Harrison.  
  
  
Chapter One: Sea Voyage!  
  
  
Serena reached for the last cup cake, but her brother snatched it away. "Hey!" she shouted. "That was mine!"  
  
"No it isn't. It's mine now!" Sammy laughed and wolfed down the cake, while his sister screamed at him. He just grinned  
  
The phone rang. Serena sighed and picked it up. "Hello?"  
  
"Hi Serena, it's me, Darien."  
  
"Darien!" Serena said excitedly. "Are you coming over to visit me???"  
  
Darien laughed. "Not with your Dad home. I don't feel like running into HIM."  
  
Serena sighed again. "Okay... well... it's nice to be able to talk to you."  
  
"Actually, I have a surprise for you." Darien was trying to sound nonchalant, but Serena could hear the excitement in his voice. "How would you and the girls like to come with me on a sea voyage?"  
  
"SEA VOYAGE!" Serena shouted. She giggled uncontrollably. "That would be great, Darien! Where are we going?"  
  
"Huh?" Sammy turned and stared at her. "What's this about..."  
  
"OH SHUT UP!" Serena glared at him. "Darien... where and when?"  
  
"Tomorrow morning... Hokkaido. Since you have summer break, I figured it would be a good time. I helped a friend out on his deck this morning and he gave me the key to his boat for a week. He told me to have a good time and to take my friends along."  
  
"OH DARIEN!!! Hokkaido!!!" Serena shouted excitedly. "This is just way cool! I can't wait to tell my friends! Are we all invited??"  
  
"Of course! I'll meet you all at the dock tomorrow morning. Dock 16 in Tokyo harbor. Sound great?"  
  
"The greatest!" Serena sighed dreamily. "An ocean voyage... it's going to be fun!"  
  
"I have to go. See you tomorrow morning." Darien hung up.  
  
"YEEEEE HAA!!" Serena shouted then went into uncontrollable giggling as she hung up the phone. "An ocean trip! This is too cool!"  
  
"You better clear that with Dad first." Sammy reminded her.  
  
"Oh, it'll be fine!" Serena moved past him, blowing him off like he wasn't even there. "MOM! MOM!!! I've been invited on a cruise!!!!!"  
  
*********************  
  
"Yes, I heard." Raye smiled as Amy listened to her on the phone. "I talked to grandpa and he didn't see any problem with it. This being summer break and all, we can really have fun."  
  
Amy's voice echoed her excitement. "I wanted to do some extra studying while on vacation but, I guess the break will be good. I can always study more when I get back."  
  
Raye sighed. "Amy, why don't you try relaxing a little bit? You already blow everyone away. Look at your national standings!"  
  
"I know. But, if I relax too much, it won't be in the top rankings. You know that being a doctor is very important to me, Raye. I want that more than anything."  
  
"Anything huh?" Raye giggled. "I seem to remember you talking about Greg and..."  
  
"That's over. He moved to America." Amy sighed.  
  
Raye fell silent for a moment. There had been a disturbing note of finality in Amy's voice. "I know. But someday, we'll both find someone..."  
  
*************************  
  
"Hi everyone!!!" Serena shouted. "Isn't this just the coolest???"  
  
Raye put a hand up to shield her eyes from the morning sun, looking out at the hundreds of boats crowded around them. "Yeah, this is really going to be neat. Which boat is it?"  
  
Serena thought a minute. "I think it was at dock #14. He said he'd meet us there."  
  
The girls all moved to dock #14 and they stopped in front of a very expensive yacht that was berthed there.  
  
Lita turned to Serena. "You sure this is it? Seems kinda fancy."  
  
Serena giggled when suddenly, two docks down they heard a shout...  
  
"Hey! Over here girls!"  
  
Raye looked and saw Darien on a much smaller 25 foot cabin cruiser. It was clearly a much older model, its paint slightly weathered with age. She smirked at Serena. "You and your memory. You should have written it down..."  
  
"Don't start, Raye!" Serena sputtered.  
  
"Please don't fight." Amy gave her two friends a bemused smile. "We're here to have fun, remember? I don't want to hear you two fighting all time. So just for this week... try not to fight, okay?"  
  
"She's right." Raye agreed. "We're here to enjoy ourselves. So let's go!"  
  
The girls hurried over to dock #16, as the two cats brought up the rear. "I don't know about this, Artemis," Luna said, keeping her voice low in case someone was around. "The Sailor Scouts need to be on their guard. What if something happens?"  
  
"Like what?" Artemis countered. "The Negaverse can't be on the job EVERY day. And the girls NEED a little time off, every now and then. It's a nice day... we'll have nothing to do but lay around and do nothing... what can go wrong?"  
  
"I shudder to think..." Luna muttered. She raced to catch up with the girls, who had by now found on the correct dock. Serena was jumping up and down excitedly, her long ponytails flying out behind her, caught by the sea breeze.  
  
Darien waved at her. "Come on aboard! You can help me get ready to cast off."  
  
Darien helped Mina up as she took his hand, then continued to help the others as they boarded. Serena, bringing up the rear, gave him a hug as he pulled her onto the boat.  
  
"Not now, Meatball Head." He grinned at her.  
  
"This boat is smaller than I thought." Mina commented. "Is Hokkaido a long ways?"  
  
"Don't you study your geography Mina?" Artemis smiled. "It's a few hours from here. Should be a fun voyage. But... this boat DOES seem kind of old."  
  
"Don't state the obvious." Luna chastised him.  
  
Artemis smiled at her and began examining the boat. As he did so, he began to see more signs of age. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all...  
  
**********************  
  
Two hours later, Lita lay sunbathing on the front deck of the boat, with Amy and Raye beside her. Raye had thoughtfully brought along a radio to provide a little music. Serena and Mina stood up in the flying bridge, next to Darian, as he steered the boat through the ocean waves.  
  
Serena giggled. "This is wonderful Darien! I've got my friends and everything is super cool! What more could anyone want?"  
  
"A guy for each of us?" Mina winked at her. "Thanks for inviting us all along Darien. What are we going to do in Hokkaido when we get there?"  
  
"I don't know." Darien shrugged. "We'll see when we get there. I'm just enjoying the trip..."  
  
Luna sat up suddenly. Artemis blinked as he turned to look at her, leaning up on one shoulder. Luna was staring out at the waves, her ears perked up. "What's wrong?"  
  
"I... I don't know. I... sense something..."  
  
Suddenly, a huge wave hit the boat and rocked it sideways. Mina screamed, grabbing the railing, as Darien whipped the wheel to one side. Down on the deck, Raye gasped as she flipped out of her chair, and landed face down, her radio sliding across the deck on front of her.  
  
Lita grabbed one of the cleats that were used to secure the boat, to keep from being thrown about. "What the hell is going on???"  
  
"THERE!" Amy shouted. A huge creature rose out of the ocean, its massive head filled with razor sharp teeth, perched on the end of an impossibly long neck.  
  
Luna swallowed. "I... I was expecting the Negaverse!!! Not... GODZILLA!!!!  
  
Artemis looked at the thing and raised his paw, pointing towards the shoreline off in the distance.  
  
"TOKYO IS THAT WAY!!!!"  
  
The huge monster rose higher above the miniscule boat, as Darien fought to regain control. "DARIEN!!!" Serena screamed. "What... what do we do??"  
  
"Uhmm... drive REAL fast..." Darien slammed the tiny boat into full power and turned hard. Somehow, he managed to miss the monster's right leg, but it was moving to attack them. It roared, and slammed its forelimb into the water, creating even more waves.  
  
The tiny boat rocked some more. Raye stood up. "What... what is it???"  
  
The sea monster roared and slammed the water again causing Darien to have to steer across the waves. "If this keeps up, we're going to sink!!" Darien shouted.  
  
Serena squealed and clung to Darien and, Mina stared in horror as the monster advanced.  
  
"It's coming toward us!!!!" Mina shouted.  
  
"No kidding?" Lita shouted. "I couldn't tell!"  
  
"We have to do something!" Raye shouted. "MARS STAR...POWER!!!!!"  
  
Leta and Amy transformed, as well. "Let's blast this thing!!!" Leta yelled. "JUPITER THUNDER... CRASH!!!"  
  
The blast of blue energy struck the monster, causing it to roar in fury. But it only came at them faster.   
  
"What the hell is it?? Mars shouted.  
  
Sailor Mercury pulled out her computer. "I'm not sure but, the computer seems to think it's some sort of dinosaur! Not sure what period either. This is incredible!!"  
  
"MARS FIRE...IGNITE!!!!!!" Raye fired directly at the monster, but it threw off her attack and slammed it's claws into the water.  
  
Serena screamed as she clung to Darien. The boat tipped precariously, as the wave swept underneath them.  
  
"WERE GOING OVER!!! HANG ON!!!!"  
  
"DIVE IN THE WATER!!!" Artemis shouted. "DIVE AWAY FROM THE BOAT!!!"  
  
Mina grabbed onto the edge of the boat as it tipped. "But if we do that, we'll drown won't we???"  
  
"IF WE STAY ONBOARD WE WILL BE CRUSHED!!" Artemis shouted. "JUMP NOW!!!"  
  
Mercury and Jupiter continued attacking but, the monster seemed to be withstanding it. Jupiter swore. "What's this thing made of?"  
  
Mina and Serena dove into the ocean with Darien. Sailor Mars jumped as the monster slammed across the center of the boat splintering it in half! Luna barely jumped in time.  
  
Sailor Mercury looked below her. "Now we have nowhere to fight from! What do we do??"  
  
"KILL IT!!!!" Jupiter shouted. "JUPITER...THUNDER...CRASH!!!!"  
  
"Darien! What do we do now??" Serena cried.  
  
Darien just shook his head. Then he grabbed Serena closer as the water began to surge up underneath them. "Now what!"  
  
A submarine broke the surface, not ten yards from their position. The dinosaur turned, attracted by the larger target, but there was a muffled boom as something exploded next to the creature's side.  
  
"They're firing torpedoes!" Artemis yelled. "Everyone, get under debris! Find cover!!!  
  
Sailor Mercury grabbed a piece of the boat and used it to shield herself from the explosive debris that followed. Sailor Jupiter and Mars did the same.  
  
The monster suddenly turned and moved quickly away submerging.  
  
"It's gone!" Mina shouted. "We did it!"  
  
"No... they did." Luna said, as the submarine approached. "Everyone..transform back!"  
  
The Scouts that had transformed quickly became themselves again as the submarine came closer. The crew had emerged out on the deck, and was yelling and waving at them. But the men were wearing old style uniforms, of the United States Navy!"  
  
"What would a U.S. sub be doing out here..." Darien muttered.  
  
His thoughts were interrupted as a blinding flash of light filled the sky, so bright it even blotted out the sky. A woman appeared, silhouetted against the light, and then, as it faded, she fell into the water.  
  
Serena, in an unusual case of bravado, pushed away from Darian, and swam to the woman. Serena hurried to her side, lifting her head up and putting an arm around her under her shoulder. The woman was unconscious, and just floated there, limp.  
  
"Serena? That was sure brave of you, Meatball Head." Raye's voice was teasing, but it was obvious she was impressed. Serena just shrugged, though.  
  
"I couldn't let her drown..."  
  
"Here, let me help you." Raye grabbed the woman's arm and helped Serena support her. Then she gasped, as they both got a look at the woman's costume. It was a Sailor Scout, one they had never seen before! Her costume was purple and black, and she had long black hair, and a staff held tightly in her hand. As Raye tried to support her under her arm, the woman's grip on the staff failed, and it sank into the sea.  
  
Raye grabbed for the staff, but missed it. She watched it disappear into the darkness, and then a couple of divers from the sub were helping her and the unconscious woman onto the deck.  
  
Artemis shook the water from himself as he stood on the deck of the submarine. As the divers helped everyone aboard, he turned and surveyed their saviors. They appeared to be wearing US Navy uniforms... but from an era of the past, possibly World War II. The  
submarine was also an older model, again resembling one from World War II.  
  
The men were ogling the girls in their bikinis and smiling. One of them stepped forward and turned to Darien. He appeared to be part japanese..  
  
"Are you all alright?" he asked.  
  
"Yes. Thanks for saving us." Darien looked around. "Where are we?"  
  
"You're aboard the "USN Hunter". I'm Lt. Akano." The man looked at them all. "What were you all doing out here and, what was that thing that attacked you we drove off?"  
  
"I'm not sure." Darien answered. He felt isolated realizing the officer had tagged him as the one to talk to. "We were on a trip to Hokkaido when it attacked us and sunk our boat."  
  
The man smiled. "I see. During a war? Interesting. In any case, you'll come below now to meet the Captain and he'll decide what to do with you."  
  
Darien swallowed and looked at the others. During a war?? What war?! Serena appeared frightened. Artemis and Luna looked at each other...  
  
Their saviors had just become...their captors! 


	2. Crash Dive

Chapter Two: Crash Dive  
  
  
Raye looked at the handsome young man that assisted her and the  
others as they climbed down the ladder into the tight packed quarters  
of the submarine.  
  
He smiled. "Hi, welcome aboard. I'm Ensign Bell. Let me get you  
all some blankets to warm up with."  
  
A voice came over the intercom. "ALL HANDS! THIS IS THE CAPTAIN!  
DIVE! DIVE!"  
  
Artemis looked around him as Ensign Bell moved past them. This  
situation wasn't good. They were now submerging. Lt. Akano turned to  
Darien. "All of you will wait here while I get the Captain."  
  
Darien nodded feeling nervous. Serena clung to him. He glanced  
back into the worried faces of Mina and Amy. Behind them, Lita glanced  
around her at the several men that watched them at their stations..  
  
The noise of men coming forward made Artemis turn. Luna looked at  
him and indicated not to do anything. The first man had on a Captain's  
hat. He looked at the girls and Darien and then he frowned. "Civilians.  
I was expecting military personnel. What were you doing on that boat?"  
  
Lt. Akano stepped forward and said in clear japanese, "This is  
Captain Jamison, commander of the "USN Hunter". He wants to know what  
you were all doing out there on that boat?"  
  
Darien looked at Serena. She was scared. He turned to Lt. Akano.  
"I told you on the deck. We were on a trip but, the boat was  
attacked..."  
  
Lt. Akano translated quickly to the Captain. Captain Jamison  
nodded and said something else in english. Akano smiled. "The Captain  
thinks that, given the situation, you are perhaps the children of high  
military officers." He looked at the woman lying unconscious on the  
deck. Two men were attending her. "Medic, will she live?"  
  
The first man looked up. He said something in english which the  
Captain responded to. Then, they carried the woman into the next  
compartment. Artemis and Luna watched feeling apprehensive. Lt. Akano  
said something to the Captain then turned back to Darien. "The Captain  
doesn't fully believe your story. So, your going to have to stay here  
for now until we can put you in a relocation center."  
  
The girls looked frightened. Darien glanced sidelong at Artemis  
and Luna and both looked concerned. "We..we haven't done anything  
wrong.." Darien began.  
  
"This is war. We have to protect our security and, we have no idea  
what the true reason is you were out here." Lt. Akano said something to  
the Captain who nodded and then looked at Darien. He then turned and  
exited the compartment.  
  
Artemis followed him and, noticing a radioman nearby jumped up on  
his station. Being a cat, he was less conspicuous. The man glanced at him.   
"Hi kitty. How are you? Did you have a nice swim? I'm Seaman Martin. You   
remind me of a cat I had once."  
  
The radioman returned to his work. He was switching channels and   
rechecking frequencies, and seemed a bit confused. Artemis glanced at   
the date on some papers...and froze! August the 14th..1945! This submarine   
was from the past!!! But how??? His fear rose and he looked at the crew.   
All of them were working but also watching their guests.  
  
*This unknown Sailor Scout might have something to do with this!*   
Luna sent, in a mental message. *We should go and see if we can help   
revive her. Maybe she can help.* Artemis agreed and the two moved   
carefully out of the room as.  
  
*********************  
  
Raye glanced up at the handsome young American officer who stood  
near her. He was very cute and he seemed to like her. While they stood  
waiting, he smiled at her. "Did that blanket help warm you up?"  
  
"Yes." Raye said in japanese. She could tell he was trying to  
help. For some reason, he seemed drawn to her. But, Raye wasn't sure  
why and, she didn't know how to react. She smiled and looked up at him.  
In broken english she said,  
  
"Please... we... not harm anyone. We.. only.. on trip.. but were..   
hit.. by.."  
  
Ensign Bell nodded. "I...know.." he said slowly. "I'll... try... to...   
help.. you. I'll... talk.. to.. the.. Captain." He grinned at her and Raye   
felt grateful. She looked at the other girls and, Mina winked at her. Raye   
blushed, which seemed to please Ensign Bell.  
  
Serena turned to Darien. "Darien, what's going to happen to us?  
Will we really be taken to a relocation camp? What is all this? What's  
going on?"  
  
Darien looked confused himself. "I have no idea. But, this is  
really beginning to bug me." He turned to Lt. Akano. "What are you  
going to do with us in the meantime?"  
  
Lt. Akano's voice sounded grim. "We'll have to hang onto you and  
guard you until we figure this whole thing out."  
  
"Are we prisoners?" Darien asked bluntly. "What war are you  
talking about?"  
  
Lt. Akano stared at him and smiled. "Don't be stupid. You know  
what's going on. I have my theories why you were out there." He smiled.  
"All these beautiful women.. one guy. You were taking them someplace for   
a reason."  
  
"Look, I don't know what you're thinking but..."  
  
Suddenly the Captain came forward. "Lt. Akano, I want a straight  
answer from them! They must be either japanese royalty or spies!" Before   
Darian could respond, another voice cut in over the intercom.  
  
"CAPTAIN! THIS IS SEAMAN MARTIN! THE RADIO TRAFFIC HAS GONE  
NUTS!!!"  
  
Captain Jamison grabbed a microphone while still pointing the gun  
at Darien. "What are you talking about Martin?"  
  
"SIR! It must be a Jap trick or something! The messages I'm  
getting are talking about a summit to China...but..some President named  
Nixon is going! And Sir, they mentioned the date! August the  
14th...1969!!!!"  
  
Jamison stared at Darien in shock. "What...what the hell is going  
on???"  
  
Darien swallowed hard. Now...they were really in trouble!!!   
  
********************  
  
Artemis and Luna moved into the compartment where the unknown  
Scout lay. The men had her on oxygen but, she wasn't responding. One  
left and, the other leaned over her. Artemis nodded to Luna. Both had  
agreed to try to see if they could reach the unknown Scout's mind and  
help her. Right now, she appeared to be in a coma.  
  
Artemis moved closer and Luna came up behind him. The man turned  
and looked at them. He smiled then moved over to a table to work on  
something.  
  
Artemis leaped up on the bed. Luna and he looked at each other and  
then began to merge together.  
  
*Be careful* Luna said. *We don't know what she's been through and  
we have to do this delicately.*  
  
*I know.* Artemis began to enter her mind gently. The woman  
stirred slightly and Artemis felt slight resistance. *Got to move more  
carefully* Artemis thouht to himself. Luna heard his thoughts and  
supported him.  
  
As Artemis moved inward, he felt like he was encountering  
something. Memories that he didn't recognize. He probed deeper gently  
against something but wasn't sure what....  
  
The woman suddenly awoke! She snapped her eyes open and stared at  
him.  
  
*It's okay.* Artemis said. *We're here to help you.*  
  
The woman gasped feeling him and Luna in her mind. Then, at  
lightning speed, she threw both of the cats off her breaking the  
link!!! Artemis slammed headlong into a wall. Luna fell against the  
table!  
  
The man who had been working was surprised as the unknown Scout  
awoke. "What the..?"  
  
"YOU ARE EVIL!" the woman shouted. "DON'T TOUCH ME!!!"  
  
"Wait a minute.." the man tried to reach for her. The woman moved  
so fast he never saw it coming. She slammed him hard against the  
bulkhead and he collapsed! Artemis still dazed from the combination of  
hitting the wall and the sudden break in his mind link looked up and  
saw the unknown Scout run from the room.  
  
Shaking off the last of the dizziness, Artemis raced after the   
unknown Scout. As he ran around a corner, he spotted the woman ahead.   
Several of the Hunter's men had cornered her, and were drawing their   
guns.   
  
"DON'T FIRE!!!" Artemis shouted at them.  
  
Stunned the men stared at him. The unknown Scout also stared at  
him.  
  
"Please....trust me." Artemis said to her. He looked at the men.  
"Don't any of you move! Don't hurt her!"  
  
Still in shock the men merely nodded.  
  
The unknown Scout looked at him. "Who..who are you? You can talk!"  
  
"I'm here to help you." Artemis said slowly trying to appear as  
non-threatening as he could. "Please listen to me. I think there's  
something wrong with you. I want to help."  
  
The unknown Scout glared at him. "I don't trust you! I don't trust  
anyone! What is this place?"  
  
Arteis knew he had to proceed carefully. "Alright. I promise you  
no one is going to hurt you. Please don't attack anymore. My name is  
Artemis. I think I have faint memories of you but, I'm not sure. Could  
you tell me your name please?"  
  
The unknown Scout began to answer then, she gasped and bent over.  
The men behind her still in shock watched as she fell to her knees.  
"Pain! SUCH PAIN!! Help me!!!" She grit her teeth and held her head. "I  
can't remember! I don't know who I am!" Her eyes turned wild and she  
looked up. "WHO ARE YOU?? There's something about a talking cat! But it   
hurts..."  
  
Artemis backed off slowly. "Please..I want to help. If it hurts to  
think then don't. Take it easy on yourself."  
  
The woman tried to answer but, no words came. Then, her eyes  
rolled upward and, she collapsed in a heap.  
  
Artemis leaped forward. "YOU MEN! PICK HER UP NOW! HELP HER!!"  
  
The men still not believing a cat had spoken reached down and  
picked up the unconscious Scout. The first one turned to Artemis.  
  
"I...I'm Chief Graham. This is too had to believe. A cat is  
speaking to me. What...do we do now?"  
  
Artemis nodded. "I know this hard to accept but, we have to help  
her. And all of us. We need to rejoin the others..."  
  
Lt. Akano stared at him. "I...I think I need a drink."  
  
Ensign Bell returned. "Sir, the radio is very strange. Seaman  
Martin is scanning all frequencies but, none of them seem to make any  
sense. A lot of our old channels no longer have anything! We can't  
raise Command or anyone!"  
  
Artemis nodded. "Something has happened to time as we know it.  
And, we have to figure it out. I need to know what your mission  
was...please."  
  
Lt. Akano swallowed. "This..this is all too much. I can't believe  
any of this. I can't give out any information without authorization  
from the Captain."  
  
Luna turned to Lt. Akano and spoke for the first time. "The young  
woman there. Please handle her with special care. Could we have a place  
for her to lie down so we can help her?"  
  
Lt. Akano stared at her. "You talk too! What the hell is this?? We   
can't do that until we have a place. The bunks and infirmary are still   
flooded.  
  
"Lt. Akano, please listen to us." Sailor Mercury said.  
  
Everyone turned to her.  
  
Sailor Mercury smiled. "We just want to help you. And ourselves.   
We are from your future. A time when our countries are at peace. We   
don't know any more about what's going on than you do... but we will   
have to work together if we're to return home."  
  
Artemis looked at her. *Sailor Mercury...when you get some time,  
look in your computer. See if you can find a history on this sub..what  
it's mission might have been.*  
  
Sailor Mercury nodded and moved slightly back as the men all  
continued to stare at them....  
  
Artemis and Luna watched as the unknown Sailor Scout was laid down  
on the floor. He nodded to Luna and, together they prodded her mind.  
  
The woman awakened and stared at them! "What...?"  
  
*Please...remember me?* Artemis sent to her. *Trust me. I'm trying  
to help you. I think someone did something to your mind and, in order  
to help you, I need to enter it. Will you allow this?*  
  
The woman stared suspiciously at the men nearby. "Don't let them  
touch me!" she said audibly. The men blinked confused.  
  
*I won't* Artemis smiled at Luna and they merged minds. *I'm going  
to be very slow and careful okay? Please trust me. Here I go.* Artemis  
moved into her mind. Slowly supported by Luna, he began to try to move  
around the mental block that was keeping her from remembering. *Who are  
you?* he said. *Where are you from?*  
  
The woman didn't answer. Her eyes were fixed on Serena who stood  
looking at her along with the others. Her eyes went wide....  
  
"Queen...Serenity!!!" she gasped...  
  
Luna gasped and Artemis looked at Serena as the unknown Scout  
looked past him at her. All of the crew around them looked on  
wordlessly.  
  
Artemis moved his mind inward. *I can help you. Please tell  
me..who are you?*  
  
The woman gritted her teeth and struggled against something unseen  
in her mind. Artemis nodded to Luna *Mind block* he sent to her  
telepathically. *Someone is trying to keep her from talking.*  
  
*Be gentle but, try to reach her.* Luna encouraged.  
  
Artemis more carefully now moved around the unseen block. *I'm  
your friend.* he sent gently. *Please trust me. Open your mind as much  
as you can without hurting yourself.*  
  
The woman looked terrified but closed her eyes and opened her mind  
more. She shook her head. "It hurts!" she cried.  
  
*I know.* Artemis answered.  
  
"What the hell is going on?" Lt. Akano stared at this scene  
totally lost. "She's talking to herself!"  
  
"Please trust us." Luna said.  
  
Lt. Akano looked at the girls. Other then the one called Sailor  
Mercury who seemed to be typing furiously on some kind of small box,  
they all looked nervous.  
  
Artemis felt something push against his mind. He gently pushed  
back trying not to hurt her...and...suddenly memories overwhelmed  
him!!!!  
  
In a flash, Artemis saw some darkness which he couldn't  
comprehend. The woman was running and, she seemed to be trying to  
defend herself against it. Then, she was overcome and one of them had  
her in an energy field of some sort. He saw her scream in pain but, at  
the last moment before possible death took her, she ripped herself away  
and dove into the gateway!! Her memories were filled with tortured  
pain. Artemis winced as he used his mental skills to ease the nerve  
centers in her brain..hoping to use this as a means to protect her from  
the pain.  
  
*Who are you?* he asked again gently.  
  
"Sailor....Pluto." the woman said slowly.  
  
Luna gasped. "Sailor Pluto! I've heard that name."  
  
Serena moved forward hesitantly. The woman opened her eyes and  
looked at her again.  
  
"Queen...Serenity." she gasped out. Her face was filled with pain.  
  
Serena bent down and put a hand on the woman's shoulder. "Pluto...  
it's okay. I'm Princess Serenity..not Queen. I don't know what is going  
on but, we're going to help you."  
  
"Queen!!!" Lt. Akano stared at them. "I knew it! All this garbage  
about the future can't be true! I know exactly what is going on here!"  
He spun around and stared at Darien pulling his gun. "These girls must  
all be japanese royalty! You may be too. You were all trying to escape  
our fleet before we invade!!!"  
  
Darien stared at him feeling helpless. "No..you know that's not  
true. What Artemis really said about the future is true. Please..."  
  
"THIS CAN'T BE TRUE!!" Lt. Akano shouted.   
  
"Please listen to us!" Artemis yelled back. "Do you really think   
that your radio frequencies would have nothing on them? How do you explain   
Luna and I?"  
  
"I..I don't know." Akano looked lost.  
  
"Then for now.. believe us!" Raye said in broken english.  
She looked at Ensign Bell for help.  
  
Bell looked at her and smiled. "I believe them Sir. This is all  
too strange to be a japanese trick."  
  
Artemis ignored this and returned to his mind link with Sailor  
Pluto.  
  
*What happened to you?*  
  
Pluto gasped and tried to remember. "It...it hurts too much!" she  
said.  
  
Artemis nodded to Luna and, with her added strength, he gently  
pushed around the barrier. *Try to remember what you can.*  
  
Pluto nodded. "I...I was defending...Crystal Tokyo... from...  
something. Most of us were defeated. I don't know what happened to the  
Queen...and SMALL LADY!! They got Small Lady!!" She cried and tears  
came down her cheeks. "I failed."  
  
Serena smiled and squeezed Pluto's shoulder encouragingly. "No,   
you didn't. We can help. You just have to tell us what to do. Do you   
remember anything else?"  
  
Artemis noticed the precense of Serena seemed to have a calming  
effect on Sailor Pluto. He withdrew slightly.  
  
Lt. Akano sighed and put the gun away. Darien smiled feeling  
relieved. The other girls relaxed more.  
  
Artemis turned to Luna. *She's from the future. I'm not sure what  
happened but some future enemy has attacked Crystal Tokyo! They lost  
the fight and, she alone escaped into the time corridor. We have to  
help!*  
  
Luna nodded. *We need to know more. This could be dangerous to our  
very existence.*  
  
Artemis agreed then turned to Sailor Pluto.*Do you remember  
anything else?*  
  
Sailor Pluto cried and winced in pain. Artemis pulled back.  
*Okay..rest for now. I'll try to help you more later. I'm your friend.  
Please don't attack anymore.*  
  
Pluto nodded feeling drained and laid down on the floor. Lt. Akano  
looked flabbergasted. "Why is she hurt so much?"  
  
"I can't really explain that right now except, she's not herself  
and we're doing what we can to help."  
  
Akano looked at Bell and, Bell smiled. "I believe them Sir."  
  
"Im glad you do. Now what the hell do we do?"  
  
Artemis jumped up on a chair and looked at Akano directly.  
"Lieutenant...I know it isn't standard procedure to have a japanese  
american as first officer. Please...what is your mission?"  
  
Suddenly, everyone winced as they felt dizzy. Darien grabbed the  
bulkhead to steady himself and, the other girls all supported each  
other. Lt. Akano shook his head. "What the hell??" he gasped.  
  
Sailor Pluto sat up her eyes wide..."Time...shift..."  
  
"What???" Artemis answered.  
  
Akano looked around him at the men. All of them looked scared. He  
was about to say something when, a voice sounded over the intercom!!!  
  
"Lieutenant!!! This is Seaman Martin!! I'm getting something on  
the radio that is really strange!!!"  
  
Akano hit the intercom. "Go ahead."  
  
"Sir...I heard a message that the United Asian Empire has  
succeeded in it's war against the United Confederation..and is going to  
launch a complete and full invasion!!"  
  
"The...United Confederation..?" Akano puzzled.  
  
"Asian Empire??" Bell echoed.  
  
"It's begun..the time shift." Pluto answered looking at Serena.  
"If we can't stop it...all our realities will cease to exist!! 


	3. Tortured Mind

Chapter Four: Tortured Mind  
  
  
Everyone stared at Sailor Pluto who suddenly seemed coherent. She  
sat up more and smiled at Artemis and Luna. "Thank you. If..if you  
hadn't tried to help me, I wouldn't have remembered anything."  
  
Artemis nodded. "How much can you remember now?"  
  
"It is painful so, I will try a little at a time." She smiled at  
Serena. "Princess Serenity...thank you." She looked at everyone. "I  
must have escaped through the time corridor into the past when I was  
unable to defend myself. I don't know why I did. Maybe deep in my heart  
I was hoping to find help."  
  
"This has been a bit overwhelming." Akano began. "If what Seaman  
Martin says is true...we're not getting the same information for the  
radio we did before."  
  
Sailor Pluto nodded. "Time has shifted. The damage has already  
occured."  
  
The Captain came up behind Akano, with a hand to his head.   
"What..what's going on?" He sounded groggy, but none the worse for wear.  
  
"Captain!" Akano said in stunned surprise, "you're awake!"  
  
"Maybe not. Am I hallucinating, or are there talking cats on my sub?"  
  
"I...don't know how to explain any of this, Sir. And yet..I have to  
accept it. There's too much evidence to discount it any longer." He nodded   
to Darien. "These folks claim to be from the future, and caught up in some   
kind of... time shift with us."  
  
Captain Jamison looked at the girls. "Time shift... Yeah... that makes   
sense."  
  
Artemis nodded to the Captain. "I'm glad you're willing to believe  
us now. But, we aren't fully sure what our situation is."  
  
Lt. Akano sighed. "The Asian Empire...and the United Confederacy.  
What the hell happened?"  
  
"We don't know yet." Artemis continued. "Please have your men  
monitor the radio frequencies for full information. It appears time has  
already altered..and we don't know what the result will be."  
  
The captain sighed. "I think I may be able to explain part of this.   
We were sent on a recon mission to check out a secret project on Hokkaido.   
It was titled "Project Beyond." We think that it has something to do with   
a new base that is on the island. From what we can gather, the Japanese   
were working with Germany to create a new type of technology. I don't   
know anymore then that, but if it was some sort of time experiment..."  
  
Sailor Pluto nodded. Artemis looked at her. "The time  
distortion..."  
  
"Might have come from that base..." Pluto finished.  
  
"But..what can we do about this?" Luna sighed. "If time has  
already been altered that means that there is no chance of fixing this  
problem."  
  
"Unless we go back in time." Sailor Pluto said.  
  
Everyone stared at her.  
  
"Go back in time?" Sailor Venus said. "How?"  
  
"My enemies did something to me. They seized control of the time   
gateway and even though I escaped, I can no longer control it. However,   
if I had the time key I could create a temporary "time shell" and carry   
us back to those affected areas to try to repair the damage." Sailor   
Pluto sighed. "Of course, the time key is gone...my staff."  
  
"No it isn't." Serena answered. "When Raye and I rescued you from  
drowning, it fell from your hand and sunk in the ocean."  
  
"Then it is lost." Pluto bowed her head.   
  
Artemis looked at Pluto. "Maybe not. You say that this staff is   
the key to time?"  
  
"Yes." Pluto looked at everyone as she spoke. "The actual time  
gateway to the corridor has been seized. However, if I had the time key  
and it's power, I could create a temporary way for us to move through  
time. I would be able to detect which areas in time were damaged by our  
enemies..and we would have to try to repair them in order to save  
history."  
  
"If you do that, won't history be altered?" Lt. Akano asked.  
  
"If we don't...it will never be the same." Pluto countered.  
  
"But you're Sailor Pluto... the guardian of time. I remember you now.   
You should be able to call the staff to you, in emergencies..."  
  
She shook her head. "I don't have the strength... The enemy have...   
robbed me of most of my power."  
  
Artemis turned to Serena, "The power of the Silver Crystal might  
be able to provide Pluto with the energy she needs to summon the time   
key. Then Sailor Pluto can then take us to the point in time where all   
of this started, and stop it."  
  
"But there is a disturbance here as well.." Pluto said.  
  
Everyone looked at her. She nodded.  
  
"I feel it. Whatever changed time in what was 1945 is still here  
in 1969...and was in the correct..1969."  
  
"Now...I am confused." Sailor Venus scratched her head.  
  
Serena looked confused too. Luna sighed. "So what we need to do is  
find the source of the problem here...then go back in time to correct  
it in the other places?"  
  
"There are two besides this one." Sailor Pluto said. "I am not  
sure where. But...if we get the time key back...we can use the power to  
take us there."  
  
Serena nodded curtly. "Okay...let's try it."  
  
The other girls who hadn't transformed pulled forth their wands,  
  
JUPITER STAR POWER!!!  
MARS STAR POWER!!!  
MOON CRYSTAL POWER!!!!  
  
The crew of the Hunter watched in amazement as the three  
transformed just like Venus and Mercury had. Ensign Bell stared at Raye  
in amazement.."Incredible" he whispered.  
  
The other Scouts joined hands with Sailor Moon and Sailor Pluto,   
forming a circle. They all closed their eyes, and the Silver Crystal   
began to glow, filling the room with bright light.   
  
Pluto felt the Scouts' energy. She opened the part of her mind that   
hadn't been tortured by her enemies..the ones who she had escaped from.   
The light from the crystal glowed even brighter now. The men of the Hunter   
shielded their eyes from the glare..  
  
Suddenly, an object began to form in the middle. Each Scout  
concentrated their power and the glow continued. The object began to  
solidify into a long staff covered with seaweed. The, seaweed was gone  
and the staff fully materialized. Sailor Pluto opened her eyes and  
released the hands of Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus she held on each  
side of her. She reached up and took the staff.  
  
The Silver Crystal still glowed as the staff took in it's power.  
Sailor Moon for a brief moment seemed to change her form showing the  
white dress of Princess Serenity. Then, it faded and, she returned to  
normal. The staff's glow diminished along with the Silver Crystal's...  
  
As the light faded, everyone seemed to let out their breath. The  
men blinked and Captain Jamison shook his head. "I...I've never seen  
power like that. I don't believe it."  
  
The intercom crackled and suddenly, Seaman Martin came on...  
  
"CAPTAIN! CAPTAIN...WE'RE BEING HAILED!!!!"  
  
"What the..?" Jamison hit the intercom. "Hailed? Hailed by who??"  
  
"SIR!" Martin said with a trace of fear in his voice. "It's a huge  
submarine closing fast! They're ordering us to heave to and surrender!  
They claim they're from the Asian Empire!"  
  
Lt. Akano stared at Captain Jamison. Jamison looked at the Sailor  
Scouts and his eyes finally came to rest on Artemis..  
  
"Okay...you got all the answers...what now?"  
  
"Any chance of negotiating with these people?"  
  
"Are you kidding?" Captain Jamison snorted. "Sounds like they are  
going to board!" He hit the intercom again. "Seaman Martin! Are they  
sending any conditions?"  
  
"No Sir. They are telling us to surrender. They say they are  
preparing to board us!"  
  
"LIKE HELL THEY WILL!" Jamison growled. "ALL HANDS!! THIS IS THE  
CAPTAIN! PREPARE TO REPEL INVADERS! I REPEAT...PREPARE TO REPEL  
INVADERS!"  
  
Sailor Moon looked worriedly at Tuxedo Mask... "Darien...what are  
we..?"  
  
Tuxedo mask had no answer. He looked at the men moving quickly  
past him. They were holding old style M-1 rifles. Not much defense if  
their enemy had superior weapons.  
  
Artemis swore. He looked around him. "We need to do something."  
  
Luna looked frightened. "But what? Anything we do might affect the  
future."  
  
Sailor Pluto nodded. "Yes...but the future has already been  
affected."  
  
Sailor Mars looked for Ensign Bell and saw him moving into the  
compartment followed by other men who were armed. He let them go up the  
ladder first.  
  
"Ensign..." she began hesitantly..  
  
"Raye..." he smiled. "Call me Jim. I have to defend the ship.  
Please stay down here where it's safe okay?"  
  
Raye watched speechless as Ensign Bell climbed up the ladder. She  
felt her heart aching realizing she was falling fast for this handsome  
young american officer. An officer from another time!  
  
Sailor Venus looked up as she heard what sounded like shots!  
"They're attacking! What do we do?"  
  
Sailor Jupiter slammed her fist into her hand. "Let's trash them!  
These people are our friends! We can't let them invade! Besides, what  
do we do if we just let them take over?"  
  
Sailor Moon looked nervous. "I...I don't know.."  
  
Suddenly shots rang out! Then, what sounded like shouts and, men  
were screaming. Artemis ears perked up as he heard the sound of energy  
cannons. "Those are lasers! These people have energy weapons!"  
  
"Energy weapons? In 1969??" Luna gasped.  
  
"They've altered the future and probably have superior  
technology." Artemis swore. "Now we have to help!"  
  
Just then two men wearing what looked like battle armor entered  
the room! One of them aimed his rifle at them!  
  
Sailor Moon gasped and almost instinctively cut loose with her  
sceptre! MOOOOOON...SCEPTRE......ELIMINATION!!!!!"  
  
Artemis leaped back as the energy shot past him and bathed the two  
invaders. They both toppled and fell over. Artemis seeing a chance here  
moved part of his mind outward...hoping to get inside one of the men  
and learn more..perhaps use him to help them..  
  
The man gasped as he felt Artemis but couldn't move. In a flash,  
Artemis saw it...The Asian Empire! A strong Empire ruled from Japan.  
They had won the second World War that had run from 1938 to 1969!  
Artemis cringed. In the flash of an instant he saw battles won..battles  
that should have been lost! He saw Germany working with Japan...then  
Japan's superior technology being used to destroy Germany. But..it  
wasn't the United States that had been in the war. It was the United  
Confederacy! The Confederacy had not been as effective a fighting  
country..and so...The Asian Empire had won!  
  
Artemis gleaned all this information from the man's mind in  
seconds! Now, he knew what he had to do! He turned to Sailor Moon. "You  
all need to defend this ship! I have a plan but, I need to know more!  
Go help!!"  
  
Sailor Jupiter nodded. "Okay! Let's go everyone!"  
  
Just then Sailor Mars gasped as an explosion sounded! She watched  
her face turning to sheer horror as Ensign Bell and two men came  
crashing down the hatchway to land at her feet. She bent down.."Jim!  
Jim..are you..okay?"  
  
Ensign Bell gasped and looked up. Blood was coming from his arm.  
"I..I got hit but.."  
  
"LET'S GET THEM!!"Jupiter said with a ferocity Artemis had rarely  
heard. Like a shot, Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury, shot up the ladder.  
Sailor Moon hesitated then Tuxedo Mask smiled at her. He moved up the  
ladder and, she nodded to Sailor Mars. "It'll be okay, Raye." She  
climbed the ladder and disappeared through the hatchway.  
  
Raye for a few seconds held Ensign Bell in her arms as she cradled  
his head on her lap. "I have to go." she whispered. "But, I'll be  
back...I promise." Feeling great agony, Raye swallowed then moved up  
the ladder feeling a great hatred for the invaders that had done this  
to the man she now cared for!  
  
On the deck, Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus emerged from the main  
hatchway into what looked like a scene from hell! Men from the "Hunter"  
armed with only World War II style M-1 rifles were fighting against men  
in advanced battle suits with laser weapons! And they were badly  
losing! Beside the "Hunter" was another submarine..much larger and far  
more advanced! Lt. Akano was on the starboard side with several men  
and, they were firing at it. One of the men had tried to use the main  
deck gun but had been killed in the process!  
  
Sailor Jupiter growled. "HURT OUR FRIENDS WILL YOU???" She swung  
her arms outward..."JUPITER...THUNDER...CRRAAAAAAASH!!!!!"  
  
The explosion of lightning lit up the deck of both subs and the  
waves slammed against them from the shock. Several men screamed and  
retreated.  
  
Sailor Venus looked and saw a man up on the conning tower of the  
other sub directing the attack. "So...your the one responsible for all  
this huh? I'll make you pay for hurting our friends!  
VENUS...CRESCENT...BEAMMM...SMASH!!!!"  
  
The beam of light shot forth from her finger and flew across the  
deck over the heads of the men fighting. It struck the officer in the  
conning tower of the other submarine. He gasped and fell over hitting  
the deck unconscious.  
  
Sailor Mercury aimed for the center of the other sub.  
"MERCURY...BUBBLES...BLAST!!!" she shouted. The explosion of bubbles  
created a fog that now filled the entire battlefield!  
  
Tuxedo mask swung his cane and slammed it across the head of one  
man then kicked another. He extended it outward and struck a third that  
was preparing to shoot Sailor Jupiter who had her back to him...  
  
Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars climbed up onto the deck and witnessed  
this scene! Men were fighting and screaming. Sailor Moon could see  
Sailor Jupiter firing off lightning and, Sailor Venus has just launched  
another attack.  
  
Sailor Mars nodded to her and dove into the fray launching her own  
attacks!  
  
Captain Jamison suddenly ran past Sailor Moon. His arm was  
bleeding where he had been shot and, he gasped and fell down the  
hatchway behind her. Sailor Moon ducked as a shot barely missed her! As  
she did so, she suddenly got an idea! The men below had been taken down  
by her attack. But..the attack was designed to heal evil energy. She  
wondered...could the attack temporarily make normal people who were not  
truly evil good? She decided to try it. She aimed her sceptre at the  
deck and waved it..."MOOOON....HEALING....ACTIVATION!!!!!"  
  
The light from her sceptre bathed the entire deck! Men screamed  
and fell down holding their heads. The fighting that had raged suddenly  
came to a halt.  
  
As the light faded, men began to look up. Those from the invading  
sub took off their helmets. Their eyes looked dazed. An officer from  
the invading submarine stood up. "What...what are we doing here? What  
is all this?"  
  
Sailor Moon swallowed. She felt someone behind her and turned.  
Sailor Pluto was there along with Artemis and Luna.  
  
"Well done, Princess Serenity." Pluto smiled.  
  
"Maybe they can help us.." Artemis grinned. "Have them take us to  
their base."  
  
"Hokkaido." Pluto nodded. "The source of the time distortions. We  
need to find out what's going on."  
  
Sailor Moon smiled and turned back to the enemy officer. "You came  
to help us but, there was a slight misunderstanding. Will you please  
take us to your base on Hokkaido?"  
  
The man blinked. Then, he nodded slowly. He looked back at his  
Commander who was unconscious on the deck. "I'm in charge now. I'll  
take you there and we'll help you." He sounded dazed.  
  
Sailor Jupiter looked at Venus and they both smiled at each other.  
  
Sailor Mars turned and looked back at Sailor Moon. Then, she moved  
past her and down the ladder to check on Ensign Bell.  
  
Artemis watched the men from the invading sub go back to their own  
vessel. Chief Graham came up beside him. "The Captain is injured but is  
still able to command. This is pretty dangerous going into the heart of  
their base."  
  
Luna looked at Artemis. "There isn't any other way to find out  
what's going on is there Artemis?"  
  
Artemis bowed his head. "No." He looked up at Sailor Pluto. "Can  
you remember anything else that doesn't hurt you?"  
  
"I have been trying." Pluto sighed. "I will try to block out the  
pain and see if I can get anymore."  
  
Sailor Mercury came up. "I have some bad news. But, I don't want  
to talk about it.." she lowered her voice, "in front of our new  
friends."  
  
Artemis nodded and he and Mercury moved a little away from the  
others. "What is it?" he asked.  
  
Mercury bowed her head. "I was able to gather a little information  
on this submarine...we're...we're on a doomed ship Artemis..."  
  
Artemis gazed narrowed. "What..?"  
  
"According to what I have in the computer before time was  
altered....the "Hunter" was sent on a mission from which it never  
returned..." 


	4. Dark History

Chapter Four: Dark History  
  
  
Artemis swallowed as he looked around him at the men on the deck.  
Many were helping their injured comrades as they watched the enemy  
return to their submarine as if nothing had happened.  
  
"This is great!" Sailor Venus said. "They're not our enemies  
anymore. Maybe they can help us find out whatever it is on their base  
that is doing all of this."  
  
"The effect won't be permanent I'm afraid."  
  
Everyone turned and stared at Sailor Pluto. She nodded. "They are  
not evil, they are simply doing what is natural for them. They consider  
us invading enemies and therefore, in a very short time, they will be  
ready to attack us again."  
  
Sailor Moon turned pale and, Sailor Jupiter swore. Artemis looked  
at the other sub as it began to pull out. "How long do you think we  
have? Long enough to find out what's going on?"  
  
"I hope so." Pluto looked away out over the sea. "I wish I could  
remember more."  
  
Lt. Akano came over. "Where's the Captain?"  
  
"He went below." Sailor Mercury said.  
  
Akano climbed down the ladder. As soon as he was gone, Artemis  
turned to Mercury. "Okay...tell everyone what you found out."  
  
Sailor Mercury pulled out her computer. "Artemis asked me to scan  
for information on this sub. Because we had already been from the  
future, the information in the computer is accurate and wasn't altered  
by the time shift. It shows what history was like before it was  
changed.  
  
Everyone watched as Sailor Mercury tapped on the keys and looked  
up. "On August the 14th 1945, the "USN Hunter" was on a special mission  
for the Department of the Navy. Only the Captain knew for sure and the  
Pacific Command what the true nature of the mission was. It was sent  
out to check rumors of a japanese empire project that was taking place  
on a base in Hokkaido...led by a German scientist. The submarine was  
sunk with a loss of all hands..with the exception of a few survivors  
who became POW's and were totured to death." Her face winced. "One was  
named...Ensign Jim Bell."  
  
"Oh my god.." Sailor Jupiter looked down. "Poor Raye."  
  
"What are we going to do?" Sailor Moon looked at everyone. "We  
can't let this happen to our friends! They're too good to allow that  
to..."  
  
"It is what happened in history." Sailor Pluto sighed. "I  
understand how you feel. But, the point is moot. History has already  
been changed. It intended for this submarine to be sunk. Instead..it is  
here in the future with us..a future that should not exist."  
  
Luna shook her head. "Even if we set things to right...they have  
to die?"  
  
Artemis grit his teeth. "One of the reasons it's best not to know  
the future. We'll have to worry about this some other time."  
  
"And Raye?" Sailor Venus swallowed. "What about her?"  
  
Artemis watched as the submarine began to move following the other  
one in front of them. "We're underway now. We'll know soon what this  
base looks like...  
  
*****************************  
  
"Are you okay?" Sailor Mars asked Ensign Bell as she steadied him  
in a chair. He winced as the medic wrapped his arm and made a sling for  
it. "I'm fine, Raye." He grinned at her. "You're really something when  
you get mad."  
  
"I..I just did what I had to do." Raye blushed. "We did what we  
all had to. It's going to be okay. We'll get out of this...somehow."  
Her voice fell.  
  
Raye was surprised, her english was getting better. It must have  
been the combination of her classes and the exposure to these americans  
from the past.  
  
Captain Jamison came forward. "Ensign Bell, are you alright?"  
  
"Ready Sir!" Bell saluted with his free arm. "I regret I can't  
salute properly."  
  
"I wish things were different." Raye looked down.  
  
Bell smiled and lifted her chin. "Hey... I don't care if you do   
have these weird powers..or if you are from the future. I'm glad you're   
here. Let's go topside and see your friends."  
  
Raye smiled and helped him up. The two climbed the ladder....  
  
Artemis watched as Sailor Mars and Ensign Bell came onto the deck.  
Raye was in love... But..it was a love that was doomed from the start!   
Why couldn't the Scouts keep their minds on what was important? There was   
no telling what was going to happen in this alternate future. Would they   
ever be able to go home again?  
  
"Look." Sailor Pluto said.  
  
Everyone looked forward and saw Hokkaido ahead. But..even from  
here they could see it looked much different then what they had known.  
A great black fortress was on the island and, it's battlements could be  
seen even from their position as they followed the enemy sub in front  
of them.  
  
"Why do I have the feeling we're like a fly in a spider's web."  
Tuxedo Mask said.  
  
Sailor Moon saw a shimmering around the island. "What..what's  
that?"  
  
Artemis narrowed his eyes. "It...it looks like an energy field of  
some sort. Perhaps a defensive shield! Their technology must be more  
advanced then we thought!"  
  
Ensign Bell looked briefly at Raye. "How are we going to fight  
that?"  
  
Sailor Mars took his uninjured arm and held it. Everyone watched  
as the continued to close in on the island and the ominous black  
fortress in front of them.......  
  
Captain Jamison came up the ladder and stared at the approaching  
fortress. "That's the base?"  
  
"Yes." Sailor Mercury answered.  
  
"Looks damn formidable." Chief Graham whistled through his teeth.  
"I don't know if we have the firepower to take them on."  
  
"We'll help you!" Sailor Venus smiled. She looked at Artemis and  
nodded encouragingly. Artemis met her gaze then turned away. Mina  
didn't feel as confident as she sounded...  
  
The "Hunter" continued to follow the other submarine. Then, they  
all watched as the shimmering in the air dissipated. The other sub  
continued forward.  
  
"The defense shield is opening. They're letting us through."  
Artemis looked at Luna. "This doesn't feel right."  
  
"A trap." Luna felt nervous. She watched as Captain Jamison  
turned.  
  
"Tell all hands to stand by their weapons..just in case."  
  
Ensign Bell nodded and smiled at Raye before he went below.  
  
They had entered the harbor of the Asian Empire base. On the  
shore, they could see thousands of men moving around. The submarine in  
front of them pulled up to one of the docks. Chief Graham swallowed. "I  
think we should get the hell out of here."  
  
Sailor Jupiter glanced at Sailor Pluto who stood dispassionately  
watching. Sailor Moon clung to Tuxedo Mask. Ensign Bell came up the  
ladder. "Captain, all hands report ready."  
  
Captain Jamison nodded and looked through the binoculars that were  
around his neck. "Looks like a welcoming commitee. And, from the looks  
of it, it isn't a friendly one."  
  
"CAPTAIN!"  
  
Jamison turned and saw a crewman on the ladder. "What is it?" he  
asked.  
  
"Sir...we're receiving a transmission...to surrender!"  
  
"So much for Sailor Moon's healing." Luna sighed.  
  
Sailor Moon felt fear. "But...but they were friendly! It couldn't  
have worn off that quick!"  
  
"You changed the men in the other sub...not the people at the  
base." Pluto looked grim. "I can feel the source of the time  
distortions. I believe it's at the center of the base. But...we need  
time to reach it."  
  
"And leave our friends??" Mercury asked shocked.  
  
"Leave Jim?" Raye echoed. She looked at Ensign Bell who was  
talking to some men. "I...I can't.."  
  
"Sailor Mars..." Jupiter began then stopped in midsentence. It was  
impossible to think of the right thing to say at this time.  
  
Artemis suddenly smiled. "Wait a second! I have a man on that  
other sub who's mind I was into. Maybe I can use that to our  
advantage."  
  
"Oh?" Luna stared at him.  
  
"I can have him maybe shut down their defenses in the sub. That  
would give us a chance to get off a shot at them."   
  
"We must find the central point of the distortions." Pluto looked  
at everyone. "We must correct this twisted timeline before we all  
spiral down into nothingness.."  
  
"Nothingness?" Sailor Venus blinked. "What do you mean...?"  
  
"If our timelines are not returned to normal soon...we may never  
exist." Sailor Pluto answered. "At least...not the people we are now."  
  
Captain Jamison came over. "So if what I'm hearing is correct, you  
can maybe stop all this...and return things to normal?"  
  
"If we can..yes." Artemis looked away knowing Jamison and the  
"Hunter's" fate.  
  
"Then let's give you the time." Jamison turned to everyone on  
deck. "EVERYONE!! Get below. We're going to dive!!"  
  
Men immediately began to move past them down the ladders at record  
speed. Chief Graham came up. "Sir..that field has closed behind  
us...we're trapped."  
  
"Fine then..." Jamison looked at the Sailor Scouts. "If you have  
the power to change all this, you do it. We'll buy you the time you  
need. "Now, get below!"  
  
He climbed down the ladder and, the Sailor Scouts followed him.  
Tuxedo Mask sealed the hatch.  
  
Artemis opened his mind as he felt the "Hunter" going  
down....searching for the link to the soldier from the Asian Empire he  
had stopped before. Finding it, he saw through the man's mind the  
control room of the enemy sub..and commanded the man to move to where  
the defense stations were. The man moved willingly as if under a spell  
and, Artemis watched as his puppet distracted the crewman on duty and  
deactivated the systems...  
  
Captain Jamison reached the bridge. "Up periscope!"  
  
The periscope rose and he turned till he saw the enemy sub and the  
shoreline of the base. "Stand by all torpedoes!"  
  
Torpedoes aye!" a man said.  
  
"CAPTAIN! They're ordering surrender again!" Seaman Martin  
reported.  
  
"Tell em to go to hell." Jamison smirked.  
  
Sailor Mercury began typing on her computer looking for a way to  
hack into the enemy computers. She winced as she was blocked and tried  
to move around it.  
  
"Once we invade the base, we can shut down the whole place!"  
Jupiter said excitedly.  
  
Sailor Mars didn't answer still looking at Ensign Bell who was  
talking to a crewman at his station. She swallowed feeling her heart  
ache. How could things have turned out so bad for her?  
  
"Captain," Artemis said, "I've been able to disable the enemy sub  
defenses. Target the sub and the docking areas of the base."  
  
Jamison turned and stared at him, "How the hell did you..?" his  
voice trailed off and he smiled. "Nevermind." He hit the intercom.  
"TORPEDO ROOM! TARGET ENEMY SUB!!!"  
  
Jamison could see the sub pulling away from the dock and turning  
to do battle. As it backed up, Jamison shouted! "FIRE ONE!!!"  
  
The torpedo fired...it streaked forth and slammed into the enemy  
sub damaging it's tail section.  
  
"FIRE TWO!" Jamison shouted.  
  
Another torpedo launched slamming into the docking area of the  
base! Men on the bridge cheered as Jamison reported the damage.  
  
Suddenly, Sailor Pluto winced as she felt a voice in her  
head...then all the other Scouts gasped as they heard it too.  
  
"SAILOR PLUTO!! SO THIS IS WHERE YOU WENT WHEN YOU ESCAPED THROUGH  
THE TIME CORRIDOR! YOU WILL ALL DIE!!!!"  
  
Sailor Pluto gasped as a flood of memories assualted her  
accompanied by pain. She shook the pain off and stared wildly at  
everyone. "I KNOW! I know now who our enemies are! It's the Temporal  
Dominators! And, unless we do something fast, all our realities will  
cease to exist!!!"  
  
The impact of explosions rocked the "Hunter" as rockets slammed  
into the water around it. The echo made a hollow sound and, the Sailor  
Scouts all stared at Pluto's revelation!  
  
"Tem...Temporal Dominators?" Sailor Venus whispered. "What are  
they?"  
  
"A terrifying enemy that attacked Crystal Tokyo in the 24th  
Century." Pluto sighed. "It is all coming back to me now. I was sent to  
investigate a disturbance that took place near the Gateway to Time. As  
I arrived, I found the gate open..then I was attacked! I was unable to  
defend myself as, they were too powerful." Her voice sounded grim as  
she spoke. "They look like dark shadows..and their eyes glow green.  
They have servants they call the Mystic Shadows. But, they are not as  
intelligent as the Dominators themselves."  
  
"Then they'll be easy to beat..won't they?" Jupiter hesitated as  
she spoke.  
  
"No..they will be..diifficult." Pluto looked at everyone. "Please,  
we must go now! Every second we delay, all history will be destroyed!"  
  
Sailor Moon looked at Sailor Mars who's face was in agony. She  
could tell where Mars heart lay. "Can...can we delay even a second?"  
she asked. "We can't leave our friends like this!"  
  
"WE MUST GO!" Pluto reitirated. "Time is at stake here! ALL  
TIME!!"  
  
Suddenly an explosion hit the "Hunter" and men screamed as the  
sound of water was heard. Raye gasped as Ensign Bell stumbled into the  
room.  
  
"Jim!" Sailor Mars shouted. She rushed over to him and caught him  
as he fell. Ensign looked up in pain and saw the circle of Scouts.  
  
"You...you need to get out of here!" he gasped. "If you don't and  
what that woman says is true...you have to stop it!"  
  
Artemis nodded. "Please Raye.."  
  
Raye looked at Ensign Bell again and he smiled. "Go dear lady.  
And, I'll never forget you." He hugged Sailor Mars close to him and  
then broke away.  
  
Mars stood with tears running down her cheeks staring at him.  
Sailor Mercury's voice choked. "We have to teleport!"  
  
Sailor Moon bowed her head. "Sailor teleport!" She ordered looking  
up after a second.  
  
Mars turned and joined the others still with tears in her eyes.  
Luna jumped on Sailor Moon's shoulder and Artemis joined Venus...  
  
SAILOR....TELEPORT!!!! the Scouts shouted as one. A glow formed  
around the team as they began the teleport. As they did so, another  
explosion hit the "Hunter" and they disappeared not knowing it's  
fate.....  
  
******************************  
  
Sailor Moon blinked as the teleport ended. Sailor Pluto turned and  
nodded. "We're close to the time distortion. Everyone...follow me!"  
Pluto ran down a corridor with the others behind her.  
  
Sailor Jupiter glanced quickly at Sailor Mars who's face was a  
mask of grief. She grit her teeth wishing she could help. Sailor Venus  
also looked concerned.  
  
Sailor Mercury tapped on her computer as the group stopped at a  
door. "There's an enormous power source behind this door. I can't  
identify what type though."  
  
Pluto nodded. "Temporal energy...we must be careful."  
  
Sailor Moon smiled at everyone. "Okay then...let's go!"  
  
Sailor Jupiter opened the door and they entered into a huge room  
filled with computers and flashing light. In the center a huge column  
of light filled the room....  
  
"That's the time stream!" Pluto said.  
  
The next thing the Scouts knew was a horrific explosion as three  
shadowy forms appeared with glowing green eyes! All of them fell and  
Sailor Venus screamed as the shrapnel from the explosion ripped through  
her leg. Sailor Moon gasped as she slammed into a wall and, Sailor Mars  
dove for cover barely escaping the fate that had met Venus.  
  
The shadows advanced and Pluto stood up looking at them.  
"Dominators! Everyone...get to the time stream! I'll block for you!!!!"  
  
Tuxedo Mask gasped as he hit the floor feeling pain from the  
near-miss energy bolt that had almost gotten him.  
  
"RUN!!" Pluto shouted. "GET TO THE TIME STREAM!!!"  
  
Sailor Jupiter winced in pain as she saw a Dominator hovering.  
It's deadly glowing eyes fell on her. "DIEE!!!" it whispered in an  
eerie voice.  
  
Jupiter barely leaped clear as it let go with a powerful energy  
blast that ripped a huge hole in the wall!  
  
Artemis glanced quickly at Luna. "RUN!!"  
  
Luna frozen with fear gasped as Sailor Venus tried to get clear of  
another Dominator that was firing at her. Sailor Mars miraculously  
unhurt moved behind a console trying to find a good place to strike.  
  
Sailor Moon stood up. "MOOOOOON SCEPTRE....ELIMIIINATION!!!!!"  
  
Her staff exploded with energy and hit the Dominator facing her.  
Sailor Mercury stared as the Dominator glowed and, the energy vanished!  
  
"WHAT???" Sailor Moon gasped. "OH NO!!!!"  
  
Sailor Moon dove for cover and screamed as part of the wall  
slammed into her that had been hit by the energy blast meant for her.  
The Dominator laughed. "FOOLISH SCOUTS! YOUR POWER IS NO MATCH FOR  
OURS!!!"  
  
Sailor Mercury grit her teeth and swung her arms outward...  
"BUBBLE...SPRAY!!!!!!"  
  
Her attack launched filling the room with a thick fog. Sailor  
Pluto shouted..."YOU CAN'T BEAT THEM IN THIS TIME PERIOD!! THEY ARE TOO  
POWERFUL!! THE ONLY WAY IS TO GO BACK AND FIGHT THEM!! RUN NOW!!!!!"  
  
Luna grit her teeth fighting her fear and dove into the glowing  
column of light. Sailor Venus screamed as another explosion almost got  
her. She ignored the pain in her leg and threw herself into the time  
stream....  
  
Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Moon hesitated a second. Sailor Mercury  
spun and cried out as the Dominator attacking her scored a partial hit.  
She jumped into the time stream disappearing...  
  
Artemis turned and looked wildly at Sailor Moon. She appeared  
terrified. Sailor Jupiter grabbed her. "COME ON!!! RUN!!" The two ran  
and Artemis followed looking back at Mars.  
  
"RUN RAYE!!!" he shouted.  
  
Sailor Pluto spun around facing three Dominators. She nodded to  
Sailor Mars. "GET GOING!!!!" She faced her enemy.."Dead.....scream!"  
she whispered.  
  
The power ripped forth from her staff and Sailor Mars seeing her  
opening ran hard for the time stream that was fluctuating with power.  
Sailor Moon and Sailor Jupiter reached the time stream and Jupiter  
cried out as one of the Dominators struck her! Sailor Moon grabbed her  
and, the two faded out into the stream..  
  
Sailor Mars reached the stream. She turned back seeing Pluto take  
a direct hit. The three Dominators advanced on her.  
  
"RUN!!!!!!" Pluto screamed in agony. "YOU'LL DIE IF YOU DON'T!!!  
DEFEAT THEM IN THE PAST!!!!"  
  
Sailor Mars torn between escape and helping Pluto turned in agony  
and did as she was told. Her last sight of Pluto was the valiant  
warrior being completely overun as she was forced into a corner..... 


	5. Ancient Japan

Sailor Moon: On The Edge Of Yesterday  
  
Chapter Five: Ancient Japan  
  
  
Sailor Venus gasped as she hit the hard ground, which was cold   
and damp with morning dew. She winced as she tried to put her weight   
on her wounded leg. Turning around to look back at the time portal,   
she put up a hand to shield her eyes from the brightness of the time   
stream.  
  
Sailor Jupiter sailed out of the portal, landing a few feet away.  
Sailor Moon followed, landing in a rather undignified position. The  
two cats flew out and landed nimbly on their feet, Artemis checking to  
make sure Luna was all right, and Luna telling him rather firmly to  
mind his own business.  
  
Sailor Moon glanced up from where she had fallen. "Tuxedo Mask?"  
  
At her words, the light shifted, and Moon ducked as Tuxedo Mask  
flew over her head. He landed with a thump in the grass, rubbing his  
shoulder. "Geez, Mercury... throw me a little harder, next time..."  
  
As Sailor Jupiter struggled to her feet, Sailor Mercury shot out  
of the portal, knocking them both sprawling to the ground. "Mercury!"  
Jupiter exclaimed, but Mercury was already on her feet, activating her  
visor as she began scanning the portal. She sidestepped as Mars tumbled   
out, and the red-skirted scout missed her, knocking Jupiter over  
again, instead.  
  
"Oh great... maybe I'll just stay here..." Jupiter said, sitting  
in the grass with a irritated look on her face. Mars looked just as  
irritated, as well as a little embarrassed, as she crawled off of her  
friend's lap.  
  
"Come on, Pluto..." Mercury was saying. She stared at the portal,  
one fist held up to her mouth, as she stared at the patterns of light  
flashing through the time stream. Then, as suddenly as it had opened,  
the portal closed.  
  
"No..." Mercury muttered, her eyes wide.  
  
"I... I think she's gone," Mars said slowly, getting to her feet.  
"She was... overwhelmed. I wanted to help, but..."  
  
He voice trailed off. "We've lost so much..."  
  
Artemis looked around. "Where are we?"  
  
"I'm checking on it..."   
  
Even as Mercury spoke, the ground began to tremble, and suddenly   
a group of soldiers on horseback broke onto the field from the woods   
nearby. They were dressed in ancient Japanese armor, wielding swords,  
and shouting. The Sailor Scouts leapt aside, flinging themselves to  
the ground, as the warriors raced past.  
  
Suddenly a second group burst from the trees. They were clearly  
charging after the first group.  
  
"We're in the middle of a BATTLEFIELD!" Artemis yelled.  
  
"What do we do?!" asked Venus, still crouched in the grass,  
cradling her wounded leg.  
  
"RUN!!!!!" Tuxedo Mask grabbed Sailor Moon's hand and ran hard  
off to the left, away from the two war parties. Behind him, Mercury  
scooped up Luna, Artemis leaping onto her shoulder as she passed.  
Jupiter unceremoniously grabbed Venus in both arms and picked her up,  
ignoring the blonde's protests.  
  
"Head for the trees!" Mercury shouted, still punching commands  
into her computer. "Ashikaga?" she said to herself.  
  
"WHAT?!!" Tuxedo Mask turned pale.  
  
Before she could answer, a small group turned away from the  
charging horsemen. One of them pointed at the Scouts and shouted an  
order. He reined his horse around, and he and several of his men took  
off in a gallop towards them.  
  
"We're in for it now!" Tux said. His face was still pale.  
  
"Not as much as they are," Mars said, her voice dangerous. She  
turned and brought her hands together, but Mercury stopped her.  
  
"NO! We can't take any action in the past that would threaten the  
future. Until we know where we are, and what is going on, we can't  
risk using our powers..."  
  
Artemis swore under his breath as the horsemen swept around them  
in a circle. The Sailor Scouts slowed to a halt as the Ashikaga  
surrounded them, leaving them trapped in the middle of their circle.  
  
Two men broke the circle, reining their horses in closer. Luna   
looked quickly at Artemis *NOT A WORD!* she thought in mindspeak.  
  
"I am Togonara Kei," the first of the two men said. "I am the   
leader here. You are all dressed so strangely..." He glanced around   
at the girls, his gaze settling on Tuxedo Mask. "Who are you that you  
have so many women travelling with you, with no other men to defend  
them?"  
  
The warlord's eyes narrowed, as he drew himself up on his horse.  
"To whom do your swear your allegance... the Ashikaga, or Emperor   
Diago and his demons?"  
  
Tux blinked, and swallowed, but before he could speak, Mercury  
answered. "Please, honored warlord... we are strangers here. We do not  
know any of these people that you speak of, but if you wish, we will  
leave..."  
  
As soon as the words left her mouth, Mercury realized they were a  
mistake. The warlord turned to look at her, the look on his face one  
of admonishment, and anger. "Whoops..." she said to herself. "This is  
ancient Japan. Women do not speak unless spoken to..."  
  
Mercury's eyes widened, and she blushed deeply, looking away.  
Thus, she didn't see the change in the warlord's expression as he  
looked the slender little Scout over. Togonara's frown seemed to   
fade, replaced with a half-smile, and a hint of curiousity.  
  
The second man, however, seemed intrigued by another of the  
girls. "Do your women always speak for you, peasant!" He demanded of  
Tuxedo Mask. "I like this one, warlord!" He pointed at Sailor Moon.   
"I think I will take her as a tribute!"  
  
"Darien?" Sailor Moon stepped back, frightened.  
  
Tux's eyes flared as he drew his cane. "That woman is under my  
protection!" He snapped, his voice suddenly shaking with rage. "Touch   
her and you answer to me!"  
  
"Hmph!" The samurai snorted. "You ARE a fool... Warlord, this man  
insulted me! Let me teach him a lesson!"  
  
Tux just glared at him, his cane at the ready, but inside he was  
admonishing himself. "Just great," he told himself, "we had a chance   
to deal with these Ashikaga in peace, and you had to let yourself get   
angry. How do I always seem to get into these messes..."  
  
The samurai dismounted as Sailor Moon cowered behind Tuxedo Mask.  
"I don't WANNA be a tribute!" she wailed. Tux just stood his ground,  
as the samurai drew his sword. "Now we're in for it," he told himself.  
  
Before either of the two men could move, however, Mercury was  
between them. "My brother!" she said to Tuxedo Mask, "please, do not   
aggravate these good men! They are all the chance we have to survive   
in this hostile land! Those horrid demons that killed our fellows, and  
stole all our clothes but these circus costumes... they must be the   
ones that this mighty warlord spoke of!"  
  
Tux eyed Mercury with a hint of disbelief, but he was careful not  
to let it show to Togonara and his samurai. Mercury was kneeling at  
his feet, even trembling, playing the role of the submissive woman  
who'd worked up the nerve to question her "master" to the hilt.  
  
"Please... apologize to this noble warrior. I'm sure that he did  
not know that you and Serena are husband and wife..." Sailor Moon's  
eyes went wide, and Mercury rose to her feet before their leader's  
look of hormonal bliss gave it all away. She grabbed Moon by the arm.   
"Come, sister-in-law. Let us let my brother deal with these men."  
  
As she turned to walk away, she turned face to face with Tux, and  
winked at him. "And keep your emotions in check," she said, in a voice  
for his ears only, "or I will turn you into a popsicle."  
  
Mercury led Moon away, Luna leaping onto her shoulder as she  
passed. "Quick thinking," the cat said quietly, as she nuzzled against  
Mercury's ear. "I was just about to suggest that myself..."  
  
Tux let a part of his mind chuckle in wonder at the slender  
little Scout, but then turned his attention back to the warlord and  
his men. "She is right. I apologize," he said to the samurai, "I have   
been too long among the peasants, and seem to have forgotten how a   
noble man behaves. I am sorry that I insulted you."  
  
"Am I to accept THAT?" cut in the samurai. "You are a poor excuse  
for a man indeed!"  
  
"Perhaps," Tux answered, his head bowed. "But I have apologized  
anyway."  
  
"Let me teach him a lesson!" The samurai said to Togonara. "He  
insulted me!"  
  
"And what of your insult to me, Hamasa?" said the warlord.  
  
The man's eyes widened. "What?"  
  
"You spoke before I gave you permission, Hamasa Wu," said  
Tognara, with a hint of a smile. "*I* was speaking to this man, and   
yet you interrupted me."  
  
Hamasa's face went white, and he bowed his head, hurriedly. "I am  
sorry, warlord, I did not think..."  
  
"No, I suppose not."  
  
He reined his horse backwards. "You will come with us to meet  
with Shogun Takauji," he said, to all of the Scouts. "He will decide  
what is to be done with you."  
  
"Then, if you still wish, Hamasa Wu, you may challenge this man  
for the insult he has done you." He looked at Tux. "If your skill with  
a sword is as sharp as your anger... or the wit of your sister..." he  
indicated Mercury. "and if you defeat Hamasa, I would consider having  
you join me as a samurai."  
  
Tuxedo Mask bowed. "I would be honored, warlord."  
  
"Now..." Togonara urged on his warhorse, drawing up alongside  
Mercury. "Pretty lady, I would appreciate your riding with me on the  
trip back to Kyoto..."  
  
Mercury started, looking, for the first time ever, completely at  
a loss for words. She looked back at Jupiter, then at Mars and Venus.  
But no, the warlord was looking at her...  
  
"Th... Thanks," she managed, and climbed up behind him. She  
grabbed for Luna as the cat jumped off her shoulder, as if grasping   
at a lifeline. Luna landed neatly on the ground, and turned back to   
regard Amy with a mischeivous grin.  
  
"What is your name, pretty one?" Togonara asked.  
  
Mercury wondered for a moment why she was trembling. "Um..." She  
didn't want to use her Sailor name. "Amy."  
  
"Amy... that's a beautiful name." For some reason, Amy found  
herself even more nervous. "So, you are circus perfomers?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I would be honored if you would perform for the Shogun..."  
  
Amy gulped, trying to get rid of the growing lump in her throat.   
It didn't work. "We would be more than happy to."  
  
Togonara grinned at her discomfort. "And *I* would like to see   
*your* performance, in particular."  
  
"Warlord..." Amy began, looking up at the man. "Did you say that  
there are demons serving Emperor Diago?"  
  
Togonara shot her a look of suprise. He glanced at Tuxedo Mask.   
"Your sister is not afraid to speak her mind, is she?"  
  
Tux frowned at her. "I have had trouble dealing with her, yes...  
maybe what she needs is a firm hand to guide her..."  
  
"That'll teach her to crack wise with me..." He said to himself,  
grinning a little.  
  
"I am sorry..." Sailor Mercury held tightly to the warlord,   
pressing her face against his back. "It is my fear that makes me   
ask these questions. I am so... I am so afraid that those demons   
will come for us again..."  
  
She looked up at Togonara. Her voice was small and scared. "You   
will protect us from those monsters, won't you... ?"  
  
"Of course I will..."   
  
Tuxedo Mask supressed the urge to burst out laughing. "Well," he   
thought. "*This* is a new tactic."  
  
"They are, indeed demons, little Amy," Togonara said. "But you  
have no need to fear them."  
  
"I know," Amy said. "Please, tell me. Where do these demons come  
from? Do you know anything about them?"  
  
"You *are* a curious one, aren't you?" The warlord said, grinning.  
"Very well. The demons arrived only a few weeks ago, and they have  
been working for that devil of an Emperor ever since. There does not  
seem to be anything we can do against them. I have faced them many  
times, myself, and once they attack a city or fortress, nothing seems  
to stop them."  
  
"But do not worry. You will be safe in the palace. Diago and his   
men would not dare attack Kyoto. And even if they did, I will not let   
them harm you."  
  
Amy said nothing. She'd gotten what she wanted, information, and   
yet the little bit of triumph she felt at that didn't quite seem to   
calm her rising sense of panic. "What is wrong with me?" she thought,   
wrapping her arms tighter around the warlord, as he brought his horse  
around to face the others.  
  
"Hamasa... you will take the young man and his wife back to the  
city." Hamasa Wu looked like he'd just swallowed a bug, but he nodded.  
"Yes, warlord."  
  
While Tux and Sailor Moon climbed onto Hamasa's horse, another  
trotted out of the circle to stand beside Jupiter. The samurai on it  
was a handsome man, Jupiter noted. He looked a little like her old   
boyfriend.  
  
"Your friend is hurt," he said, looking at Venus.  
  
"It's not that bad," Venus started, but Jupiter cut her short.  
  
"We could use a ride, too," Jupiter said, giving the man a  
flirtatious smile. The smile faded, however, as she realized that he  
was STILL looking at Venus.  
  
"Oh, great..." she said to herself. "First Mercury, now Venus.   
And I get left out in the cold."  
  
With a sigh, she pulled herself up onto the horse behind Venus,  
and tried to supress a growl as the blonde wrapped her arms around the  
man and sighed contentedly. Another of the samurai had picked up Mars  
and the cats, and the group of them set off into the forest.  
  
"Just great..." 


	6. The Play's The Thing

Sailor Moon: On The Edge Of Yesterday  
  
Chapter Six: The Play's The Thing  
  
  
"These will be your quarters," Togonara said, gesturing at the  
room. "There are chambers off of the main room for each of you."  
  
The palace of Shogun Takauji in Kyoto was sumptuously furnished,  
and this room was no exception. Elaborate paintings covered the walls,  
and colorful rugs and mats decorated the floor. A large table sat in  
the center of the room, several silk covered cushions scattered around  
it.  
  
"The Shogun has requested your presence for dinner tonight. He  
would like for you to perform once the feast is over." He looked over  
at Sailor Mars. "It seems that he has taken a liking to you, Raye. He  
asked me to convey his hope that you will dine with him."  
  
Mars took a deep breath. "Tell him that I would be glad to accept  
his invitation."  
  
"Very well. You have several hours before dinner. I suggest you  
use the time to practice your routine. I will send the servants for  
you when it is time."  
  
He left the room, and four Sailor Scouts and one tall man in a  
black cape collapsed on the cushions around the table.  
  
"He wasn't kidding about the Shogun, Raye," Tux said. "I noticed  
the way he was looking at you."  
  
"Wow..." Sailor Moon said dreamily. "A handsome Shogun... how  
romantic..."  
  
"Cut that out Serena!" Mars snapped. "I'm not getting married...  
certainly not right now... and certainly not to a Japanese Shogun born  
a thousand years before I was!"  
  
"More like five hundred years, if I have my history correct,"  
corrected Tuxedo Mask. "Right Amy? Amy?"  
  
Sailor Mercury was still staring at the door, a stunned look on  
her face.  
  
"Well, I'm changing out of this costume," Serena said. "Since  
they know our names, there's no sense staying as Sailor Moon."  
  
"Amy!" Tux said again, looking at Mercury. She shook her head, as  
if coming out of a dream, and then looked back at Sailor Moon.  
  
"No, wait, Serena," she said. "Remember, we don't look the same  
as Sailor Scouts as we do in real life. If we turn back, the samurai  
won't recognize us, and they might even consider us witches."  
  
Serena's eyes widened. "Oh. I didn't think about that. What'll we  
do?"  
  
Amy walked over to join the others. "We'll stay in our Sailor  
forms, but pretend to be normal. We'll use our real names, like we've  
been doing, and wear our kimonos over our costumes." She pointed to  
the clothes that had been left behind for the girls and Darien to wear  
at dinner.   
  
Darien nodded. "One thing we will have to be *very* careful of   
is that the samurai do not hear Luna and Artemis talk. I seem to   
remember reading that talking white cats in ancient Japan were   
considered to be demons."  
  
Artemis somehow seemed to turn whiter, but Luna smirked. "But not  
black cats?"  
  
"I wouldn't risk it, Luna," Artemis shot back.  
  
"No, I wouldn't either," said Darien. "We have to convince them  
that we are normal, ordinary humans and their trained cats, performers  
in a travelling circus."  
  
"What about this performance?" cut in Lita. "I don't know  
about you, but I don't know the first thing about circuses."  
  
"It can't be that hard," said Luna. "You all have extraordinary  
agility in your Sailor forms. You should be able to put on a  
gymnastics show with ease."  
  
"A gymnastics show?" Raye made a face. "I am *not* prancing  
around like a fool for the amusement of these... people."  
  
"Actually," Lita added. "I think it would be kind of fun."  
  
"Well, Venus is hurt, so that's right out."  
  
They all looked at Mina, who stared back. "Actually, I think  
it's a good idea."  
  
"Venus!" Raye looked a little uncomfortable.  
  
"Well... I always wanted to join the circus when I was a little  
girl... And that cute samurai Wasara Chi said he wanted to see *my*  
performance."  
  
Lita and Raye both scowled. Mina giggled. "Besides, my leg's  
feeling better now that I've been Sailor Venus for a while. Mercury,   
what do you think?"  
  
Amy was once again staring at the door. "Huh?"  
  
"Amy's got a boyfriend!" Darien said teasingly.  
  
Amy blushed a bright red. She then grabbed a cushion and threw it  
at Darien.  
  
"Woo-hoo! Pillow fight!" Darien grabbed another of the cushions  
and threw it back at her. A rolled up kimono sailed back at him, and  
he tossed it back. Giggling, Amy looked around herself for something  
else to throw.  
  
Her eyes fell on Luna, who was sitting right next to her. "Meow?"  
The cat said. Amy burst out laughing, falling to the floor in a heap.  
  
"I *hope* you weren't thinking what I think you were thinking,"  
Luna said, which caused Amy to laugh all the harder.  
  
"There." Darien said. "I made you forget your troubles, didn't  
I?"  
  
"That you did," Amy said, wiping her eyes as she sat up. "Now,  
what are we going to do about Raye's problem, and this performance?"  
  
Raye's face turned ashen, and she looked at the floor.  
  
"And what are we going to do about your problem, as well, Amy?"  
Luna said  
  
Amy put a hand to her head, worriedly. "No... I don't think  
he's... I mean, I don't think he would... He just seems so... Oh, I   
don't know."  
  
"I can talk to him tonight. There's so much still to learn from   
him. I just have to be careful, is all..."  
  
The black cat raised an eyebrow as she regarded Amy carefully.  
  
Amy looked back at Luna, puzzled by the intensity of her  
expression, but then the words she had just spoken sank in. Her mouth  
fell open as she turned the deepest shade of crimson she'd even been.  
  
"Oh, no, I don't mean *that*! I just want to talk to him, after   
dinner. He has fought these Temporal Dominators before, and maybe,   
just maybe he knows something that can help us defeat them."  
  
"Why do we need to talk to him?" Raye cut in. "Sailor Pluto said  
the Dominators would be weaker in this time period. Maybe we can  
defeat them easily."  
  
"And maybe we can't," Amy answered. "That's why I have to get as  
much information as I can before we go into battle. I don't know why  
Togonara likes me, and not Mina, or Lita, or you, but he does. And  
that means I have a chance to talk to him, and try and get him to help  
us..."  
  
"I just hope you know what you're doing, Amy." Luna stared at her  
for a moment. "I'm just worried about you, that's all..."  
  
Amy sighed. "I'm sorry. I should have shared my plans with you in   
the first place."  
  
She pulled out her computer. "We are in the year 1336, I think.  
The Ashikaga are..."  
  
"The Ashikaga were a Japanese clan that rebelled against Emperor   
Diago II. Led by Shogun Takauji, and headquartered in the city of  
Kyoto, they fought the Emperor to a standstill until 1392, when the   
Emperor died. His kingdom was split up under a number of his   
successors."  
  
Amy looked at Darien.  
  
"What can I say? History was one of my best subjects."  
  
"Well, you're absolutely right. According to my computer, had the  
civil war not taken up all of Diago's energy, he would have made Japan   
much stronger, but also more imperialistic, setting the stage for  
further conquests down through history. This would explain why Japan  
was so technologically advanced in 1969."  
  
"That's right... the Dominators are arranging for the history  
that we saw then, by changing the past, now."  
  
"Exactly." Amy smiled. "Also according to my computer, there is a  
major temporal disturbance right here, in this city. I believe that is  
because the Dominators intend to change history, by attacking Kyoto,  
and destroying the stronghold that Takauji will use to hold off  
Diago for the next 56 years."  
  
"It's a good thing the Ashikaga didn't see that computer," Darien  
said, pointing at it. "In fact, it's a good thing they didn't hear  
what you just said."  
  
Amy went white as a sheet, her blue eyes becoming positively  
enourmous. She bent over the computer, pressing a few keys, and  
finally began breathing again as it printed out its results.  
  
"For a moment there..." she said, "... it occured to me that  
someone might be eavesdropping."  
  
Darien chuckled. "I guess we got lucky. Although I'd be suprised  
if they were. Samurai are not supposed to behave so dishonorably."  
  
"Maybe not, but I should have checked the room the moment we  
walked in." Amy shuddered. "What is wrong with me? I don't know  
*where* my mind has been lately."  
  
"I bet I do..." Jupiter said sourly.  
  
Amy blushed again, and Darien laughed. "All right, you've had  
your fun..." she said. "Now, what about this performance?"  
  
"I've got a plan," Serena said with a smile. "Leave it to me."  
  
Luna and Raye both looked as if they were about to say something  
caustic, but were interrupted by a knock at the door. Two servants  
stood in the doorway.  
  
"Dinner is prepared. The Shogun requests the honor of your  
presence at his table..."  
  
The dining hall was lavishly furnished, hung with elaborate  
tapestries, and lit by two large chandeliers, and several dozen  
candelabras scattered around the hall. The tables were covered with   
food, and Serena had to be forcibly restrained from diving into the   
feast right then and there.  
  
The tables were arranged in a huge rectangle, around three sides  
of a hastily erected stage. The servants led the five young girls and  
their tall guardian up to the head table, where Shogun Takauji sat,  
Togonara Kei at his right hand.  
  
"Come!" The shogun said, standing as the Scouts approached, but  
his eyes were only on Raye. He reached across the table to take her  
hand, and kissed it. "Come, sit beside me." He gestured at the empty  
seat to his left.  
  
Raye glanced up at Darien, looking a bit uncomfortable. Darien  
gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze, and gently guided her toward  
the end of the table. As the other Scouts followed, he dropped back to  
walk beside Serena.  
  
Homasa Wu scowled as Darien and Serena passed by him. "Tomorrow,  
circus performer," he said, "we shall see what kind of warrior you  
are."  
  
The shogun again took Raye's hand, as a servant pulled out the  
chair for her. She sighed as she took her seat. Amy quietly took the  
seat offered her, next to Togonara, as the others continued past her.  
Mina was the last to sit, as Wasara Chi held her chair for her. She  
gave the warrior a gracious smile as she sat next to him.  
  
Amy tried to control her nervousness as Togonara took her hand.  
"Beyond these walls an army is approaching," he said. "We are well  
manned, and our defenses are strong, but... this night might be our  
last to truly celebrate. There is a very good chance we may be facing  
death."  
  
"I... I feel very attracted to you, Amy. I wanted you to know  
that. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever met. After dinner and  
your circus troop's performance, I would like to walk with you... and  
ask you some things..."  
  
Amy looked up at him. "I would like that, too!" Her eyes widened  
as she realized how forward she was being, and she averted her eyes,  
blushing.  
  
I need to watch what I say, she told herself. Like Luna said, I  
need to be careful. If _she_ misunderstood my intentions, what is  
Togonara to think?  
  
She looked back up at him. "If you do not mind... my being so...  
bold... I would like to ask you some questions, as well." There, that  
should make my meaning clear...  
  
"Of course," Togonara said, smiling at her. "You can ask me  
anything."  
  
The dinner went well, with Serena digging into the feast with her  
usual abandon, to the Shogun's amusement, and the Sailor Scouts'   
embarassment. Luna and Artemis sat quietly behind the table, glancing  
at each other occasionally. It was difficult to only be able to sit  
and watch, but at least they weren't locked in some room, worrying.  
  
Finally, tbe shogun stood. "I wish to welcome everyone tonight...  
especially our guests, who I understand are performers. I would ask of  
them to please perform for us tonight."  
  
He looked down at Raye. She stiffened, as if sensing what was to  
come. "And I would like to announce that I have chosen Raye as a  
suitable wife. Our marriage will take place at noon tomorrow."  
  
"Before that, though, at ten in the morning, an exhibition of  
Samurai skill will be shown. Our guest, the 'man in the mask', will  
test his mettle against warrior Homasa Wu to settle an earlier  
disagreement. If our noble guest is successful against Homasa, he   
will have the honor to be chosen as Samurai in our ranks!"  
  
With that, he looked down at Raye. "Now, my dear Raye, the stage  
is yours. I am looking forward to this wonderful performance tonight."  
  
The Sailor Scouts quickly stood, and filed around the end of the  
table toward the stage. "I hope you've got a good plan," Raye hissed  
at Serena. "Cause this looks to me like its gonna be a disaster!"  
  
"Trust me!" Serena said brightly.  
  
There was a small room just outside the dining hall set aside for  
them to change. Thanks to Mercury's suggestion that they leave their  
fukus on under the kimono's, though, that did not take long. Darien  
grabbed his cape and mask, and was once again Tuxedo Mask.  
  
"Okay, here's the plan... Mercury, can you summon a fog to give  
us some atmosphere?"  
  
"Sure!" Mercury gave Sailor Moon a smile, a little impressed. "I  
had the same thought myself."  
  
"Good." Moon looked back out the door at the audience waiting  
beyond and swallowed. Then the calm determination returned. "Just  
follow my lead. This'll be easy. Here's what we're going to do..."  
  
After a few minutes, Sailor Moon stepped out onto the stage,  
alone. She strode purposefully to the center of the stage, but stopped  
as she noticed the many eyes watching her. For a moment, all she could  
do was stand there, but then she closed her eyes, took a deep breath,  
and addressed the crowd.  
  
"Shogun Takauji, we thank you for inviting us to perform for you  
today. We are but humble performers, and we are honored to put on our  
show for you. It is a tale of happiness, and a tale of sorrow."  
  
"Mercury... Bubbles... Blast..." Offstage, Sailor Mercury kept  
her voice low, letting Moon's speech cover up her words. She closed  
her eyes, concentrating as hard as she could, for the first time  
trying to _feel_ the fog as she summoned it, to become part of it...  
to control it.  
  
The fog rolled up around Sailor Moon, shrouding her from view.  
Under its cover, she pulled out her sceptre, and began to transform  
into Princess Serenity. As the fog rolled back, revealing Serena's  
costume change, there was a collective gasp from the crowd, then  
applause. The fog dropped down to the princess's feet, swirling around  
the base of the stage.  
  
"A long time ago there was a beautiful Kingdom, ruled by Queen  
Serenity. She was a good Queen, and cared for her subjects. Everyone  
lived happy lives. Until one terrible day..."  
  
At her cue, Sailor Mars stepped out onto the stage. A couple of  
servants carried a lit brazier out onto the stage from the other side  
of the room and set it down behind the Princess. She stepped out of  
the way as Mars walked up to stand behind the fire.  
  
"A priestess was watching her sacred fire when she had a vision."  
  
Mars gestured at the flame, and it shot upwards with a roar.  
Smiling to herself, the priestess reached back into her pocket for a  
bit more of the rice powder. Fire powers or no fire powers, the best  
special effects are the easy ones.  
  
"Fire. It gave birth to the earth, and will eventually consume  
it. It also symbolizes the actions of men, and by understanding fire,  
we can also unterstand man."  
  
She gestured again, and the flames shot up higher. "Fire  
symbolizes man's aggression, his compasion, his desire, and his  
passion. Now... by reading the flames before me, I can gain insight of  
what is to come... and share it with you all."  
  
She knelt before the fire. For a moment, there was only silence,  
but then the flames erupted again. Sailor Moon grinned, thinking this  
was part of the show, but Sailor Mars' eyes widened in fear.  
  
She saw a flash -- Tuxedo Mask, fighting Hamasa Wu. Demons  
descending on the city. Herself, being flung up against a wall.  
Togonara Kei, raising his sword to attack a Dominator...  
  
And Mercury screaming Kei's name as he was struck down. 


	7. Night Of Romance

Sailor Moon: On The Edge Of Yesterday  
  
Chapter Seven: Night Of Romance  
  
  
Mars blinked, trying to calm her racing heartbeat, and focus back  
on the here and now. Sailor Moon needed to continue her story. She had  
to say her line.  
  
"We are in danger," Mars said, shuddering as she realized how  
true this might be. "The forces of darkness have risen to strike us  
down. They will attack within the next twenty-four hours."  
  
"When the Queen heard this news, she was concerned. The Kingdom  
had always been at peace with its neighbors and had few defenses. She  
gave orders for the people to prepare for an attack, but she would not  
put off her daughter's birthday celebration that evening. Princess  
Serena was coming of age and such an event was not to be missed."  
  
The other Sailor Scouts came out onto the stage. Tuxedo Mask was  
the last out the door, but he stepped around the others to stand near  
the princess. The servants took the brazier away, and Sailor Mars  
walked back toward the others, glancing worriedly at Sailor Mercury.  
  
"The celebration was a success. In honour of the occasion, Prince  
Endymion from the neighboring Kingdom came with gifts for Princess  
Serenity and the two danced for most of the night."  
  
The fog swirled upward as Tuxedo Mask stepped forward, offering  
Serenity a rose as he took her hand. They began to dance around the  
stage, the fog wrapping around them, giving the scene a sense of  
unreality. For Serena the moment was all too real, however, and Darien  
smiled at her as she held him a bit closer, pressing her head against  
his chest.  
  
"This never lasts long enough," she muttered, in the Princess's  
voice. Then she let him go, turning back to face their audience.  
  
"In the midst of the celebrations, the enemy attacked! Prince  
Endymion and the warriors of the Moon did their very best to defend   
the Kingdom."  
  
The fog rose rapidly, shrouding the Scouts' movements as they  
took their positions on the stage. Venus began to glow, letting pulses  
of light form in her hands, as the fog rolled around her. The light  
seemed to carry through the fog, reflected off the ice crystals,  
creating flashes of light and shadows all around the great hall.  
  
"The enemy is attacking!" Yelled Tux in his most heroic voice,  
moving between the imaginary invasion and Serenity. He thrust his cane  
forward as if it were a fencing foil, lunging at the shadows.  
  
"Over here!" yelled Mercury. "They are breaching the walls!"  
Jupiter ran over to join her, performing a few elaborate martial arts  
moves as she fought her invisible foe. As the fog grew up around her,  
she fired off a few faint sparks from her fingertips, causing a flash  
of light, and then leaped across the stage as if thrown by an attack.  
  
Mars moved in, then, igniting a handful of rice dust and tossing  
it in the air to make a nice fireball. "I summon the power of fire to  
deal with these invaders!" Her flash was dramatic, but Mercury's fog  
extinguished the flame quickly, keeping it from setting the stage on  
fire.  
  
But then Mars, too, flung herself across the stage, and the  
flashing cloud moved in closer to Tuxedo Mask and the Princess. Tux  
tossed a few roses into it, and brandished his cane, but began to back  
away, making it clear he was outclassed. Behind him, Serena clung to  
him as if hiding, but she was actually giggling soundlessly. This was  
fun!  
  
The fog rolled over Tuxedo Mask and Princess Serenity, cutting  
them off from view. Mars and Jupiter lay where they had fallen, and  
Mercury and Venus were nowhere to be seen. For a long moment, there  
was only silence, and then Serena's voice came from the cloud:  
  
"But it was all for nothing. The enemy overran the Kingdom. Many  
were killed, and the Prince and Princess were captured. Seeing her  
Kingdom in ruins, Queen Serenity used her own magic to send all the  
remaining survivors, including Endymion and Serena, to a far-off land  
where they would be safe."  
  
All at once, the fog lowered, dropping out of sight and  
vanishing. Sailor Mercury stood revealed at center stage. She did a  
single pirouette, and summoned a handful of bubbles, which floated up  
toward the ceiling, spreading out through the room. As they reached  
the summit of the great hall, they burst, spreading a fine, sparkling  
cloud of ice crystals out over the room.  
  
Mercury stepped back out of the way as the princess again spoke.  
"The effort of saving everyone was too much for Queen Serenity. But  
even as she died, she knew in her heart that her daughter and the  
handsome prince would someday be happy."  
  
"Even in the blackest hour, there is always hope. Hope for a  
peaceful future." Sailor Moon's sceptre suddenly flashed, brightly,  
blinding the audience for a moment. In the few seconds it took for  
their sight to return, the princess had become Sailor Moon again.  
  
There was a moment of stunned silence, but then the Shogun began  
to applaud. His Samurai soon followed, and the rest of the audience as  
well. Even the servants joined in the cheers. Sailor Moon stood,  
holding the sceptre across her chest as she took a bow.  
  
"We are the Sailor Scouts..." she said.  
  
"Sailor Mercury, as calm and collected as the quiet stream, with  
wit and intelligence beyond her years..." Mercury winked at Togonara  
as she took her bow, then struck a pose.  
  
"The beautiful and radiant Sailor Venus, as caring and  
compassionate as she is strong and powerful..." Venus smiled winningly  
at Serena's praise, then bowed deeply.  
  
"Sailor Mars, the spiritualist, with the power of the fire..."  
Sailor Mars bowed, still a little shaken, but glad that Moon's "play"  
had worked so well.  
  
"Sailor Jupiter, a brave warrior, with the strength and courage  
of a man..." Jupiter also struck a pose, performing a few Tai Chi  
moves before she took her bow.  
  
"The mysterious..." Serena's voice slipped out of its  
storytelling mode, to become more girlish, "and handsome... Tuxedo  
Mask, who is always there to protect us when we most need him..." Tux  
chuckled, as he took his bow.  
  
"And I am Sailor Moon, the champion of love and justice!"  
  
Moon raised her sceptre again, and the cheering began anew. It  
was some time before they could get off of the stage.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Sailor Jupiter lunged forward, putting her weight behind the  
punch as she struck out at the palace wall. She stopped her fist mere  
inches from the hard stone. In a smooth, graceful action, she followed  
the attack with a roundhouse kick, then dropped back into a block. For  
a few moments more, she continued her shadow boxing, concentrating on  
keeping her mind focused, and her muscles tight and controlled.  
  
Serena's "play" had left her oddly restless. Rather than giving  
her the workout she'd hoped for, the martial arts moves she'd used had  
left her full of energy, and feeling strangely unsatisfied. They had   
all seemed to be a little on edge, especially Raye. After the Scouts   
returned to their rooms, Raye had disappeared, without a word to   
anyone. Mina put it off as exaustion from the fire reading, but Lita   
could tell something was troubling the dark-haired psychic.  
  
Amy never even made it back to her room, setting off right after  
dinner for her talk with Togonara. And Serena and Darien went off  
together as well. Lita had thought she might have had Mina around to  
chat with, but then the samurai that had picked them up earlier came   
by, and she went off with him.  
  
Jupiter sighed, relaxing as she stepped out of her karate stance.  
She hated feeling like this, but right now she was all alone, alone  
with her thoughts. And even the concentration of a practice session  
couldn't make the jealousy go away. She looked back toward the front  
gates, and up at the two figures on the wall that protected the city.  
A burly man in armor and a petite, slender girl stood silhoutted  
against the moonlight.  
  
"Damn her," She said to herself, not exactly meaning it, but  
feeling better having said it. "Of all people, mousy little Sailor  
Mercury has to pick NOW to come out of her shell..."  
  
Several yards away, the "mousy little Sailor" was feeling just as  
frustrated... and just as confused. She had all of this planned, all  
the things that she was going to say to Togonara, all the questions she   
was going to ask. "I cannot recall any of it," Amy thought. "What is   
wrong with me?"  
  
Togonara was silent, staring up at the sky. Amy felt oddly warm,   
and safe, with the stone parapets of Kyoto on one side of her, and the   
warlord on the other. She was finding it hard to concentrate. "I must   
be tired," She said to herself. "That's it. I'm worn out, from the   
circus act. I need to calm down, and focus on why I am here..."  
  
"Amy..." the warlord began, still staring off into the distance.   
"Look at the Moon... It is so beautiful... shining so brightly. You   
don't know how many nights I've stood here, on these walls, wishing   
that I had someone to share this with."  
  
Amy looked up at what was, so long ago, her home, and the home of  
her Princess. "But not so long ago right now..." she thought, with a  
bit of a start. "How far in the past are we? Six hundred years..."  
  
"I never thought that anything could be as beautiful as the Moon   
shining over the parapets of Kyoto... until I met you..."  
  
Amy looked up at him, startled out of her private thoughts. She   
felt herself blushing again. "Could he really... care about me?" For   
a moment, Amy wondered why her heart had begun beating so loudly.   
"Get a grip on yourself, girl. You've got questions to ask, plans to   
make."  
  
But the warlord was still talking to her. "My feelings for you,   
in the short time I've known you... they're hard to describe. I want   
to stay with you, to protect you. But I have a responsibility to my   
men, and to the Shogun."  
  
He looked away, towards the fields around the city. "Look. I can   
see the fires of Daigo's minions even as we speak..."  
  
Amy's eyes widened as she looked in the direction Togonara was  
pointing, and spotted the campfires, spread out in a ring around the  
city. "Oh, no! My scan earlier didn't even pick them up! How could  
they have gotten here so fast! I'm... we're not ready... I haven't had  
time to make my plans... I haven't..."  
  
"Amy..."  
  
She looked up, as Togonara said her name. Her thoughts were  
already muddled, and the sight of the approaching army had thrown   
her into a panic. But all that was forgotten as Togonara leaned over   
her. Her blue eyes became positively enourmous, her mouth falling  
open in shock, but the only sound that escaped her lips was a small  
gasp, as the warlord covered them with his own.  
  
"No! No! What am I doing?" To her utter astonishment, Amy felt  
herself returning the kiss, even reveling in it, leaning closer to  
Togonara, as his strong arms went around her. She cast around herself  
desparately, trying to concentrate on her plan, but the one weapon she   
felt she could always rely on -- her mind -- was lost in a maelstrom   
of emotion.  
  
"Oh, God! Don't give out on me now! I need a plan! I need a way   
out of this! Please, don't LEAVE me like this!" But what was left of   
her concentration broke down, in the security of Togonara's embrace,   
and even those thoughts went silent.  
  
Inside the city walls, Lita just stared, stunned. Part of her   
wanted to scream. Part of her wanted to cheer. Mostly, though, she  
just gaped at the two lovers, almost unable to believe what she was  
seeing. Amy? AMY? In LOVE???  
  
Suddenly, all other thoughts were shoved aside as a feeling of  
danger washed over her. She knew the feeling well. It had even come to  
her, once or twice, before she became a Sailor Scout. It wasn't as   
strong as Raye's ability to sense evil, she knew, but all the Sailor   
Scouts knew, instinctively, when evil was near.  
  
The Temporal Dominators were attacking. Sailor Jupiter took off  
in a run towards Togonara and Amy.  
  
Up on the wall, however, the haze of her emotions and the force  
of Togonara's kiss let nothing else through. Amy could not sense the  
danger, and she continued to hold the warlord tightly, lost in the   
bliss of the moment.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Raye walked out of her room into the central chamber. Her eyes  
were closed, and her hands were folded in front of her, her fingers   
steepled. On her face was an expression of extreme concentration.  
  
She opened her eyes and looked around the room, but to her  
astonisment, there was no one there. Only Luna and Artemis remained,  
resting on one of the cushions by the table.  
  
"Where is everybody?"  
  
"They've all gone out," Luna answered. "Serena and Darien left  
together, and Mina left a little while afterwards with that Wasira  
Chi. Then Lita went out alone -- to do some practicing, I would guess,  
since she went in just her Sailor costume."  
  
"And Amy hasn't returned from her walk with Togonara," Artemis  
added.  
  
"Yes, that's what I wanted to talk to her about." Raye said. "I  
didn't want to say anything until I was sure, but..."  
  
She paused, taking a deep breath. "Amy seems to be getting very  
close to the warlord, doesn't she?"  
  
Artemis opened his mouth, a smug expression on his face, but then  
he glanced at Luna, and shut it, quickly. "I would say so, yes," he  
said, a little more seriously.  
  
"I think that he is in danger," Raye said. "I wouldn't want Amy  
to get hurt because she fell in love with someone who was doomed to  
die..."  
  
What was left of Artemis's grin faded as he noticed the black  
haired girl's forlorn expression. "Like you did with that sailor on  
the _Hunter_," Luna added quietly.  
  
Raye's expression turned fierce. "I can't let that happen." She   
said, slamming a fist into her palm. "I'm going to go warn her."  
  
"That sounds like a good idea," Artemis said. "We'll go with   
you." As they started towards the door, all three gasped.  
  
"I sense evil!" Raye warned, and the two cats nodded. They had  
sensed the wave of danger as well. The Sailor Scout threw open the  
door and charged out into the hall, but drew up short as she came face  
to face with their foe.  
  
The form in front of them was hazy and undefined, but seemed to  
be a black, roughly spherical mass of pure shadow. It roiled and  
seethed, its internal shape changing by the second, and two red,  
glowing eyes peered angrily out of its depths.  
  
"WHERE IS THE SHOGUN?" It demanded, its voice booming, even in  
the narrow corridor. "YOU WILL TELL ME, OR MEET HIS FATE AS WELL!"  
  
"MARS..." Even though she'd changed into her robes for the fire  
reading, Raye was still in her Sailor Mars form. "FIRE..." She brought  
both hands together, her arms shaking with the barely contained power   
as she pointed at the shadow demon. "IGNITE!!!"  
  
A cone of flame shot forth, engulfing the demon, but it moved   
forward rapidly, slamming into Sailor Mars. She cried out in pain as   
her body was tossed about in the maelstrom of the creature's body. It   
threw her against the wall, as if discarding a rag doll, and continued   
down the corridor.  
  
Mars struggled to her feet, wiping blood from the corner of her   
mouth. The two cats ran up behind her. "Are you all right?" Artemis   
asked her.  
  
"He's gonna pay for that," Mars growled, grimacing against the   
pain. She put a hand around her belly, then looked down at herself.   
She suddenly removed the hand, pulling at the fabric of her ceremonial   
robe. It was burned, and ripped wide open across the front.  
  
"Damn! Look what he's done to my robes! I can't return them like   
this. And they were so pretty..."  
  
"No, Artemis, DON'T look," Luna cut in. "There's a rather sizable   
hole here in the back, Raye, where you can't see it. Why aren't you   
wearing your costume? If you keep fighting that thing..."  
  
"I'm gonna be worse off than I am now," Mars finished. Like all   
the Sailor Scouts, Mars' costume was made of a material much tougher   
than any Earth based cloth. "But I can't run back in and change, I   
don't have time."  
  
"Why don't you try and transform?" Artemis asked. Luna shot him   
a dirty look, but he held up a paw. "I'm not looking! I swear!"  
  
"But I AM transformed," Mars answered. "Like Amy suggested, I   
never changed back. I was afraid my costume was interfering with my   
fire reading, so I took it off, but I'm still Sailor Mars."  
  
"Try it anyway," Artemis continued. "What can it hurt?"  
  
"MARS! STAR! POWER!" There was a brilliant flash of light as the   
elaborate robe vanished. From the guest room, however, a sheet of   
flame blasted forth, wrapping itself around Raye's body. Before even   
a second of immodesty could pass, Sailor Mars was once again in   
costume.  
  
Artemis looked stunned. "It worked! Wow! All my ideas should   
work so well..." He shook his head, then took off running after Sailor  
Mars, who was already halfway down the hall.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Outside, the alarms of Kyoto were ringing out their warning as   
the Shogun's warriors headed for the walls. A horrible, keening moan   
had settled over the city, and the sound of approaching troops could   
clearby be heard from the field outside. "Wait for me, Mina!" Wasira   
Chi said, as he headed for his post. "I'll be back to get you once   
these ruffians have been driven away."  
  
Mina stood in the street, with her arms wrapped around herself   
worriedly. "Artemis... my kitty... please be all right."  
  
Several yards away, Serena and Darien also saw the soldiers   
running past. Serena shivered. "The Dominators..." she said.  
  
Darien nodded. "I know. I feel them, too."  
  
Serena raised her locket above her head. "Serena..." Darien   
began, but he was too late.  
  
"MOON! CRYSTAL! POWER!!!" There was a brilliant flash of light   
as Serena's kimono vanished -- revealing the Sailor Moon costume she   
still had on underneath it!  
  
"Whoops! I forgot!" Serena giggled as she looked down at herself.  
  
Tuxedo Mask shook his head, amused. He pulled his cape out of   
somewhere, Serena wasn't sure where, and threw it around himself.   
"Let's go!"  
  
"You're not going anywhere!"  
  
They both turned to see Hamasu Wu facing them, his samurai sword   
held in front of him, a look of hatred on his face. "You and I have a   
battle to fight, Prince of Earth..."  
  
Serena gasped. "How..." But in the same moment, she noticed the   
eerie purple glow of his eyes. Hamasa Wu was under the control of the   
Dominators! 


	8. The Darkness Descends

Sailor Moon: On The Edge Of Yesterday  
  
Chapter Eight: The Darkness Descends  
  
  
"Amy! AMY!!!" Lita ran towards the wall, hoping against hope that  
she could reach her friend in time. She couldn't see the enemy, but she  
could sense the danger, and it was coming closer by the minute.   
  
On the wall of the city, Togonara still held Amy tightly, both of  
them lost in the passion of their kiss. As the warlord released the  
slender Scout, he looked down to find Amy's eyes closed, her head back  
as she relaxed in his embrace.  
  
"I've wanted to do that for so long..." he muttered. "I've got to  
get you out of here," he said, as if making a decision. "The city be  
dammned, I cannot let you be hurt. I'll get you and your friends out of  
here, while I still can..."  
  
"My friends..." Amy muttered, her eyes still closed, lost in a   
daze of confused emotions. In the background, she could hear another   
voice, Lita's voice, calling out her name. And there was an odd sound   
filling the air, a strange moaning hum.  
  
Amy opened her eyes, looking over at Lita, who was running  
frantically towards them. "Amy! You're in danger! The Dominators are  
coming!"  
  
At her words, the full force of Amy's danger sense finally broke  
through the fog. She doubled over, stunned by the intensity of the  
psychic warning. "Are you all right?" Togonara asked her, but she waved   
him off. Struggling to focus, she looked back towards the plain beyond   
the city, on the other side of the wall.  
  
At that moment, there was a rush of air, and a sound like an  
explosion, as a form materialized in midair. The Dominator dropped onto  
the parapet, its eyes glowing with an eerie purple light, as it charged  
towards Amy and Togonara.  
  
"Amy! Look out!" The warlord shoved Amy behind him as he drew his  
sword. As the Dominator raced towards him, he swung, slashing the  
creature across one of its eyes. It roared in pain, its charge faltering  
as it fell backwards, but then it turned back to face Togonara with a  
cry of rage.  
  
A beam of purple energy lanced from the Dominator's good eye,  
sweeping over Togonara. The warlord let out a cry of agony as the beam  
sliced through his body, blasting his armor to pieces, and throwing him  
off of the wall. He hit the hard stone of the street below, with a  
sickening crunch.  
  
"KEI!!!!" Amy screamed. "NOOOO!!!!!"  
  
Amy leaped down off of the wall as the Dominator followed. She  
could not see the looming shape behind her, through her tears, as she  
dropped to Togonara's side, and took his body in her arms. It closed in   
for the kill.  
  
"JUPITER! THUNDERCLAP! ZAP!!!!" The Dominator reared upwards as  
Jupiter's lightning ripped through it. It staggered back, turning to  
face the source of the attack. Lita stepped between the monster and   
her friend, gathering her power for another shot.   
  
"Come on, Amy, I need your help," Jupiter said, glancing back at   
her friend. "I know how you feel, but you have to be strong. I can't   
defeat this thing alone." But Amy just knelt on the ground, weeping,   
either unhearing, or uncaring.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Hamasa Wu charged, and Tux leaped, straight upwards, pushing   
Sailor Moon aside. "Give me a few seconds to pin him down," Tux said,   
"Then hit him with your Moon Healing."  
  
As the samurai pulled back for another strike, Tuxedo Mask brought   
up his cane, blocking the blow. He then slashed back at his opponent,   
but Hamasa dodged backwards. Cursing to himself, Tux sidestepped another   
slash from the samurai's sword, then kicked him, hard, in the groin.  
  
"Not exactly sporting," Tux told himself. "But better than killing   
him."  
  
The man doubled over in pain, falling to the ground, and the wierd   
glow faded from his eyes. "He's down, Serena!" Tux called out. "Heal him   
now!" Before he could move, however, Hamasa looked back up at him, and   
the glow returned.  
  
Twin beams of purple lanced out of the man's eyes. Tux leaped   
upward again, tossing roses at him as he sailed over Hamasa's head.   
"Serena, NOW! HEAL this idiot! Any TIME, Meatball Head!!!!!"  
  
"MOON... HEALING... ACTIVATION!!!!!" The shimmering glow of the  
Silver Crystal washed over Hamasa, and he cried out, as if in pain. A  
black, shadowy form was torn from his body. It tried to solidify, but  
was ripped asunder by Sailor Moon's power. The purple glow of its eyes  
remained, however, just long enough for it to boom out one last taunt.  
  
"YOU HAVE NOT WON, SAILOR MOON! IT WAS NOT WISE TO LEAVE ONLY ONE   
GUARDIAN IN THE PALACE. MY SERVANT HAS ALREADY DEFEATED HER. THE SHOGUN   
WILL FALL. YOUR FUTURE... IS DOOMED!!!"  
  
* * * * *   
  
Inside the palace, Sailor Mars leaped over the Mystic Shadow's   
roiling form, as it threw out a tendril of blackness at her. "I call   
upon the power of MARS! FIREBALLS! CHARGE!!!!!"  
  
She planted the three ofudas firmly between the Shadow's red eyes,   
but if they had any effect, it showed no sign. It reached out and   
grabbed her with a tendril.  
  
Mars cried out in agony as its darkness once again ripped through   
her. She was again flung up against the wall, and this time lay still.   
A pool of crimson spread slowly away from her head.  
  
Luna and Artemis ran up to her. "Raye! RAYE!!!" There was no   
answer. Luna looked up at Artemis, concern in her huge cat eyes. "Oh,   
Artemis... if SHE can't stop that thing, what can WE do... ?"  
  
* * * * *   
  
"Sailor Venus!" Tuxedo Mask ran up to her, Sailor Moon right behind   
him. "The Shogun is in danger!" He said.  
  
"Artemis!" The blonde Scout looked frightened. She knew that her   
guardian was still in the palace.   
  
"I think Mars is still there, too. She may need our help."  
  
Venus nodded, the fear replaced with a calm determination. "Let's   
go."  
  
"Wait..." Sailor Moon put out a hand to stop them. There was an   
odd look on her face. "I think Mercury's in trouble, too."  
  
"What???"  
  
"You know how... sometimes... I can feel when my friends are  
hurting?" Tears were beginning to form in Serena's eyes.  
  
"I think so." Tux nodded.  
  
"I think... I think Togonara's dead."  
  
There was a moment's silence, then Tux nodded again. "Let's split   
up. Venus and I will save the Shogun. You see to Mercury."  
  
"Okay." The three of them headed off in two different directions.  
  
* * * * *   
  
*SAILOR SCOUTS!!!!! THE SHOGUN IS IN DANGER! COME TO THE PALACE   
RIGHT AWAY!!!!!*  
  
Luna looked at Artemis. "That should get them here, but I don't   
know how much time we have..."  
  
"Then we'll just have to keep it busy."  
  
The two cats leaped at the Shadow, hissing and spitting, attacking   
with nothing but claws and fury. "You'll pay for what you did to   
Raye!" Luna yowled, as she slashed mercilessly at the creature's   
glowing eyes.  
  
The Shadow roared in pain, then slammed Luna against the wall. The   
cat fell into a crumpled heap on the floor. Artemis jumped down,   
running to her side, as the Shadow continued on towards the throne room.  
  
"Luna..." Artemis rolled her over. Where her body had hit the   
wall, her black fur was shiny, matted with blood. "Oh, Luna..."  
  
She stirred, slightly. "The Shogun..." Luna said. "You have to...  
stop it..." She then passed out.  
  
The little white cat looked up in the direction the Shadow had   
gone, his yellow eyes narrowed. His body seemed to be shaking with   
barely contained rage. He leaped off down the passage, headed for the   
Shogun's throne room.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Artemis charged down the passage. "If only Sailor Pluto were still  
alive..." he thought, idly. "What chance do I have against this thing?"  
  
Ahead, he could hear the sound of fighting. The palace guards   
had finally caught up with the Shadow. There were screams of pain and   
the sound of crunching bodies. As Artemis ran into the room, he saw   
only the Shadow still standing. The floor around it was littered with   
the bodies of its victims.  
  
"That's IT!" The cat shouted. "You will hurt no one else!" Only   
one chance, he thought. Concentrate my Mind Meld, try and break into   
the Shadow's mind. Send it all the rage and hatred and pain it's caused   
me. Maybe I can immobilize it.  
  
He didn't think about the fact that the shock could kill him. He'd   
never dared to use the Mind Meld like that before, no Lunar cat ever had.  
  
"Take THIS, monster!" The golden beam of his Mind Meld lanced out,   
striking the creature right between the eyes, but the Shadow shrugged   
it off. It was almost as if there was no mind there to meld with. The   
Shadow shot a tendril of black at him, and Artemis leaped upward,   
dodging the blow with mere seconds to spare.  
  
"DEVIL!!!" The Shadow and Artemis both turned, to see the Shogun   
standing in the doorway, in full samurai armor, his sword at the ready.   
"I am Shogun Takauji, sworn to defend the city of Kyoto, and I will   
defend it to the death."  
  
He pointed his sword at the monster. "But if it IS my death you   
wish, then I will not cower behind my men. Come to me now, demon. I   
will END your miserable existance!"  
  
A low, bass rumble filled the room, as the Shadow laughed. "FOOL!   
I WILL END *YOUR* EXISTANCE... AND WITH IT, ALL OF *HISTORY*!!!"  
  
"Pluto..." Artemis found himself thinking again. "I sure wish you   
were here..."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Back in the corridors of the palace, Sailor Mars stirred. She   
forced herself up onto her hands and knees, despite the pain, and   
then collapsed as her strength gave out. Her face hit the stone   
floor with a loud crack.  
  
Biting back a cry of agony, the black-haired scout pushed herself   
back onto her knees again. Slowly, ever so slowly, she struggled to her   
feet, grunting between her teeth as her body complained. Leaning   
against the wall for support, she staggered down the passageway towards   
the throne room.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Come on, you creep! Come on, HIT me! Can't you do any better than   
that?" Jupiter leaped aside as the Dominator blasted her again, but   
then it turned back on Amy and the fallen Togonara.  
  
"AMY! SNAP OUT OF IT, DAMMIT! I NEED *HELP* HERE!" Jupiter had   
realized a few moments ago that Amy was shielding the warlord's body   
with her own, but she was still making no move to fight back. Was her   
grief so deep that she wanted to die, too? The Dominator was moving   
back in on the two of them, so it looked like she just might get her   
wish...  
  
"MOON... SCEPTER... ELIMINATION!!!!" The Dominator suddenly leaped  
backwards, as a beam of shimmering pink light shot at it from behind.  
The blast missed, but Sailor Moon had at least driven the creature back.  
"How dare you attack a couple that are so much in love!" She shouted,  
pointing her sceptre at the Dominator. "I'll punish you!"  
  
She leaped out of the way as the Dominator fired its eye-beam at   
her, shattering the ground under her feet. "WAAAAAAAA!" She wailed, as   
she landed face-first in the street. Somehow she managed to roll back to   
her feet and dodge, as the Dominator attacked again.  
  
In Amy's arms, Togonara stirred. Amy looked down at him, and to her  
astonishment, he opened his eyes. "Amy..." he muttered painfully.  
"Behind you..."  
  
"KEI!!!!" Amy wrapped her arms around him in a fierce hug. The   
warlord gave a short cry of pain, as the Scout's slender body was   
rubbing rather uncomfortably against the worst of his burns. "Amy..."   
He said tightly. "The demon..."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Tuxedo Mask charged into the throne room. Sailor Venus, right   
behind him, held Sailor Mars up with an arm under her shoulder. The   
sight that greeted them there was enough to make to strongest warrior   
despair.  
  
Shogun Takauji cried out in pain as the tendrils of black tore   
into him, spreading out across his body, shattering his armor where it   
touched him. He was falling to the floor against the onslaught, but   
looked up at the entry of Sailor Mars and the others. At the first   
sight of Raye's bloodied, broken form, still struggling to stand up   
even with Venus's help, his jaw set at a firm line.  
  
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HER!" With a cry of fury, he threw himself   
forward, slashing across the creature's midsection. It had solidified   
to attack him, and his blow opened a gaping wound in whatever the   
creature was made of. With a roar, the Shadow picked the Shogun up   
into the air. There was a loud crack as the man's back was broken,   
and then the Shadow threw him to the floor.  
  
"NO!!!!!" It was Raye who screamed the loudest, but the sound   
seemed to be coming from everywhere at once.  
  
"YES!" The Shadow gloated as it began to fade away. "YOUR HISTORY   
IS NO MORE! WE HAVE WON!!!"  
  
*SAILOR PLUTO! WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!* Artemis didn't even realize  
he was making a telepathic call until he'd done it. It was almost...  
instinctive. He felt himself passing out. He'd given it everything he   
had.  
  
But as the blackness began to close in around him, the cat got   
his answer. *I HEAR YOUR CALL, ARTEMIS!* A flash of light lit up the   
room, as a bright globe of energy appeared before him. It faded, and   
Sailor Pluto stood there, her staff at the ready.   
  
"QUICK!" Tuxedo Mask yelled. "While it's distracted! BLAST IT!"  
  
"VENUS! CRESCENT BEAM! SMASH!" "MARS! FIRE! IGNITE!"  
  
Already mortally wounded by the Shogun's strike, the Shadow   
cried out in agony as the dual attack blasted it out of existance.   
  
"THIS CHANGES NOTHING! YOUR HISTORY IS STILL DOOMED!!!"  
  
"Not if I can help it! DARK DOME CLOSE!" Sailor Pluto raised her   
staff, and an eerie hush settled over the room. "I have frozen time   
here, so the Shogun will be able to survive a few moments longer.   
But we can do nothing without Sailor Moon."  
  
"She's helping Mercury and the others." Tux told them. "I'm sure   
she'll be along soon..."  
  
"Maybe I can help hold him here," Artemis said. He walked over to   
the Shogun and stood on his chest. The golden beam again winked on,   
linking the cat's mind to the Shogun's. The white cat began to sway   
a little, sweat forming on his face, but he kept it up.  
  
"Artemis..." Venus muttered, but Tux put a hand on her shoulder.   
"Don't distract him," he said.  
  
*Sailor Moon, hurry.* Artemis managed to send. His power was far   
beyond exhausted, now. *I can't hold on much longer...* 


	9. No Way Out

Sailor Moon: On The Edge Of Yesterday  
  
Chapter Nine: No Way Out  
  
  
Artemis could feel himself fading. It was taking everything he had  
just to stay conscious. He had long since given up on trying to keep  
his eyes open.  
  
*Who is in my mind?* He heard, from the Shogun. *Am I dying?*  
  
*Yes, but I am here to help you. You must hold on. Kyoto needs  
you.*  
  
*I want to, but it's so hard.*  
  
*I will help you. Concentrate on why you must stay. Concentrate on  
Kyoto. Concentrate on Raye.*  
  
*Raye. Yes. I want to spent the rest of my life with her.*  
  
The cat chuckled, mentally. *So hold on to that life. I will help  
you. I will keep you from dying.*  
  
There was a short pause.  
  
*If I die... you are dying too... aren't you?*  
  
There was a moment of silence. *Yes...*  
  
Artemis redoubled his concentration. If his Queen could give her  
life to save her world, then he could do the same. He would not let  
these monsters get their way. Not after what they did to Raye. Not  
after what they did to Luna.  
  
Luna.  
  
*I'm here.*  
  
He felt himself growing stronger. He opened his eyes. She stood  
there, next to him, her fur caked with blood, but still standing,  
adding her strength to his.  
  
*Hold on, Shogun,* she said in the link. *WE will help you.*  
  
* * * * *  
  
Outside, near the city wall, the rest of the Sailor Scouts were  
fighting for another man's life. "Amy..." Togonara said again, as  
Mercury held onto him as if her life depended on it. "Your friends...  
they're... they're fighting that demon."  
  
"I know," Amy said, beaming, tears running freely down her cheeks  
as she let him go. "We'll take care of the demons. That's why we're  
here..."  
  
Amy stood, throwing off her kimono to reveal the Sailor uniform  
underneath. She closed her eyes, letting the power flow into her. The  
moisture in the air around her began to condense, forming a cloud of  
ice crystals.  
  
Maybe the others didn't understand why she seemed so brainy and  
unemotional all the time, but Amy knew. It wasn't because she didn't  
care, she DID care. She DID love her friends, more than anything. Now  
she knew that she loved Togonara Kei, as well. That still scared her, a  
little. But deep down, she knew that she would always have those  
feelings.  
  
"MERCURY!!!" Deep down, Amy knew, those feelings were where her  
power came from. "ICE STORM!!!" She twirled, feeling the air around her  
chill, gathering the crystals of ice into her hands. "BLAST!!!!!"  
  
"JUPITER! THUNDERCLAP! ZAP!!!" "MOON! SCEPTRE! ELIMINATION!!!"  
  
The Domininator was caught in the three-pronged attack, and  
instantly incinerated. It vanished in a glittering explosion of light  
and sound, which shook the ground under their feet.  
  
"YESSS!" Sailor Moon said, clenching her fist. "Moon Dusted!"  
  
Mercury ran up to her. "We have to get to the palace! While I  
was..." She swallowed. "While I thought Kei was dead, I overheard Luna  
call us, telepathically."  
  
She lowered her eyes. "I... I'm sorry I didn't respond sooner."  
  
Sailor Jupiter put a hand on her shoulder. She'd noticed that the  
little Scout had started calling Togonara "Kei", almost as if she  
weren't even thinking about it. She bit back the jealousy again.  
  
"It's all right, Amy. We understand. The important thing is you  
were there for us, in the end."  
  
Mercury took a long, shuddering breath, and Jupiter looked up at  
their leader. "Can you do anything for Togonara?"  
  
Amy looked up, her eyes wide. Clearly, she'd been thinking the  
same thing. "I don't know..." she said, her voice tense. "Shouldn't  
you... save your strength... for the Shogun?"  
  
Mercury sounded so guilt-ridden that Jupiter had to give her a  
hug. "I think I have enough strength for both of them," Sailor Moon  
said.  
  
But as she walked over to Togonara, she wasn't feeling as sure as  
she'd made herself sound. Sailor Moon didn't know if she could use her  
power to heal people at all. She'd tried it once, when Tuxedo Mask was  
hurt, and she found out that she was really the Moon Princess. But  
she'd passed out before she could finish.  
  
In a swirl of white ribbons, Serena transformed into the Princess.  
Kneeling next to the warlord, she examined his wounds. He looked her  
over almost as carefully.  
  
"That story you told... it was true, wasn't it?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Serena closed her eyes. The crystal was still imbedded in her  
locket, so she hadn't let it transform with the rest of her clothes.  
She opened the little case, letting the light play over Togonara.  
"Silver Crystal..." she muttered. "If you can... save this man... for  
the future... and for Amy."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Artemis wasn't sure how long he stood there, holding onto the  
feeble glow of the Shogun's life. Time had long since ceased to mean  
anything to him, in the darkness of the world inside the mind and  
spirit. All he knew was that the darkness was growing darker.  
  
Really, time meant nothing in the outside world, either, since  
they were all in Sailor Pluto's protective bubble. But even the  
subjective time inside the Dark Dome had faded before the approaching  
darkness. Now there was only the here and now, fighting for each  
breath, each beat of the Shogun's heart, as he held onto that fading  
thread of life.  
  
He felt arms around him. He struggled, at first, not wanting to  
break the contact, but he could not fight the grip that pulled him back  
to reality. He cried out, almost in fear, but a soothing voice spoke to  
him through the darkness.  
  
"It's all right, Artemis. You did it. Serena's here."  
  
It was Mina's voice. He collapsed against her, struggling to stay  
awake, almost failing. He blinked his eyes to focus them, saw the white  
satin of the Princess's gown as she kneeled over the Shogun. Saw Luna,  
unconscious, being carried away by Darien.  
  
He'd made sure Luna passed out, at the end. All it took was a  
little touch, in the right place in her mind. He wanted to make sure,  
if it came down to it, that he would be the one to make the final  
sacrifice. Not her.  
  
Sailor Venus looked him over, worriedly, and Artemis managed to  
force a smile onto his face. "Nothing to it," he said weakly, the  
hoarseness of his voice putting the lie to his words. "Although I was  
wondering how long it would take her to get here."  
  
Mercury scanned the little cat with her computer, and nodded to  
Venus. "He'll be fine," she said. She then looked back at Sailor Mars,  
who was leaning against the wall. The blood caked on her costume was  
beginning to dry, but the pain in her dark eyes could be seen even  
without a computer.  
  
"I'm fine, too," she said, as Mercury ran the computer up along  
her side.  
  
The slender Scout gave Mars a little smile as she shook her head.  
"Those broken ribs you've got tell a different story."  
  
Her smile grew wider as Mars scowled at her. "I SAID I'm fine..."  
Mars snapped, then bit back a cry of pain, putting a hand across her  
stomach.  
  
Sailor Mercury put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Just don't do  
a lot of moving around," she said, "and no one will hear it from me."  
  
She fell silent as a blaze of light from Serena's crystal let them  
know that the healing had begun. Mercury watched carefully, the  
readouts flashing across her visor, as she turned to scan the Shogun,  
and the rush of power from the Silver Crystal.  
  
Amy found herself holding her breath. The Princess had only just  
barely been able to heal Togonara, and then only because the  
Dominator's attack had been dark energy. The wounds he'd taken in the  
fall from the parapet couldn't be healed by the crystal, and they'd had  
to leave him with a broken arm. If the Shogun's injuries were just as  
bad... or worse...  
  
The light of the Silver Crystal flickered in the half-darkness,  
then slowly faded away. For a moment, nothing seemed to have happened,  
and then the Shogun stirred.  
  
Mercury glanced to her right as Mars stepped past her. She put a  
hand on Amy's shoulder to steady herself, then continued on. She drew  
up next to the Princess, and looked down at Shogun Takauji.  
  
"I... I am alive." The Shogun sounded astonished. He started to  
sit up, then sucked in his breath, and lay back down on the floor.  
  
"Be careful, Shogun." Mars said tightly. "Your back may be broken.  
I heard a crack as you... fell."  
  
Mercury looked up. Raye almost sounded like she was crying. She  
frowned as she looked back at her readings. Is this what happens to the  
men that we love?  
  
But no, she couldn't see any sign of a spinal injury. "I'm reading  
a cracked hip, and a broken leg, but I don't think his back is broken,"  
Mercury said. "Either it was his leg that you heard, or Serena was able  
to heal him."  
  
She stepped closer as Mars kneeled next to the Shogun. "See if you  
can help him up."  
  
Mars did so, and the Shogun sat up, grimacing a little, but  
clearly trying not to show pain in front of his love. His eyes narrowed  
as he looked at her. "Look what they've done to you..." he muttered, as  
he reached up to wipe some of the blood from Raye's mouth. "And yet you  
still stand. You are like no woman I have ever met before..."  
  
Raye stared at him, her jaw set at a firm line. "You are a brave  
warrior as well, Shogun Takauji," she said.  
  
Serena sat back, sighing, her gown fading as she transformed back  
to Sailor Moon. She closed her eyes, as if she were dizzy for a moment,  
but then sat back up. "We have to get out of here."  
  
For once, Sailor Mars didn't argue. She stepped back as Darien  
helped the Shogun to his feet, then took up a position on his other  
side, helping to hold him up. Darien looked at her questioningly, but  
Raye didn't meet his eyes.   
  
"We must move quickly," Sailor Pluto said. "Now that the Shogun is  
safe, the demons will act to destroy the Ashikaga entirely!"  
  
"Ha!" Sailor Moon answered, in a brash voice. "If they do, we'll  
turn 'em into Moondust!"  
  
"Don't be too sure," said Mercury. She looked up from her  
computer, staring off into the distance, as if looking through the  
walls of the palace. Readouts began to flicker across her visor.  
  
"Uh... guys... we've got a problem..."  
  
Sailor Mars suddenly doubled over. As the Shogun turned to her,  
concerned, she waved him off. "I sense Evil... POWERFUL Evil!"  
  
A loud, booming voice cut through the room. "SAILOR SCOUTS...  
FOOLS! DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE WON? ALREADY IT'S TOO LATE! YOU WILL  
PERISH... ALL OF YOU... NOW!"  
  
The Sailor Scouts cried out as a swirl of black energy appeared,  
circling around them. Sailor Mars collapsed, the intensity of the pain  
shooting through her body almost too much to withstand. Most of the  
other Scouts fell to their knees, as well, crying out in agony. The  
blackness spread rapidly, almost solidifying, until the entire room was  
cast into inky darkness.  
  
"THIS BUILDING WILL BE YOUR TOMB! YOU HAVE COME INTO THE PAST FOR  
NOTHING!!!!!"  
  
"COME ON OUT HERE AND FIGHT!" Tuxedo Mask challenged, somehow  
managing to keep both himself and Takauji upright. He shook his fist at  
the ceiling. "WE'LL NEVER LET YOU DEFEAT US! *NEVER*!!!"  
  
"Help me!" The Shogun cried out. Tux's hold on him gave out, and  
they both fell to the floor, crouching next to Raye. Blood seeped into  
the Shogun's ornate robe, as several of his wounds were re-opened.  
"I... I can't... take this... much longer..."  
  
"What's happening!" Sailor Moon screamed, clearly terrified. "I  
don't wanna die!" She screamed again, this time in pain, as the field  
of black closed in around her.  
  
Artemis ran up to the Shogun. His Mind Meld beam winked back on  
again, and Takauji managed to force himself up onto his hands and  
knees.  
  
"Raye..." he muttered. He crawled over closer to her. The black  
haired Scout was writhing in agony, the darkness tearing at her  
weakened body. The Shogun grabbed her, trying to hold her still. Her  
blood was already beginning to form a puddle under her right side.  
  
Artemis looked down at Raye. His mental beam flickered, then  
started to split, forming two beams. But strain was clearly too much  
for the weakened cat. Artemis closed his eyes as the beam began to  
fade. Instead of returning, however, the cat's white fur began to glow  
with golden light.  
  
Luna, laying nearby, stirred. "Artemis... what are you doing?"  
  
"I'm not really sure..." The cat quipped.  
  
As Luna joined him, the golden energy began to spread, shielding  
Darien from the smothering darkness, as well as Mars and the Shogun.  
Serena crawled into the radius of the light, as did Sailor Jupiter,  
helping Venus along as they crawled across the floor. All three  
collapsed in front of Artemis, breathing hard.  
  
"Raye..." Sailor Moon said, looking up at the wounded Scout.  
  
Further away, Sailor Pluto sat crouched on her knees, her eyes  
tightly shut. A nimbus of gold began to appear around her head, and  
then she looked up at the Sailor Scouts. Sailor Moon pointed behind  
her. "Amy!" She yelled. "Get Amy!"  
  
The smallest Sailor Scout was clawing at the stone floor, trying  
to pull herself towards her friends, but the pain was too much for her.  
Pluto forced herself to her feet, and gathered up Mercury, stumbling as  
she made her way towards the others. As she neared, Artemis's field  
grew, forcing away the jet black energy that surrounded them.  
  
"Amy... what..." Sailor Moon winced. "What is going on?"  
  
Mercury forced herself to sit up. It still felt like a thousand  
needles were being plunged into her skin, but at least now it was  
bearable. She punched keys on her computer, trying to make sense of  
what her visor was showing her.  
  
"It's some kind of... dark energy. I can't get... I can't get  
exact readings. But I think there's... there's four Shadows,  
surrounding the building on all sides. They've created this field... it  
surrounds the palace."  
  
"It's a variation on my Dark Dome," Pluto said breathily. "It's  
disrupting... It's disrupting space itself... literally... tearing us  
apart..."  
  
Mercury nodded. "There's another Dominator... there shouldn't be  
any left... but I picked it up right before the field went up... to the  
north." She gasped, her body tensing from the pain, then returned to  
the computer. "I'm reading... something... climbing up onto the roof."  
  
"I don't understand. I thought we got them all..." She looked up  
at Sailor Mars. "Maybe you can... sense the Dominator... better than I  
can."  
  
Mars was gritting her teeth, the pain so intense it was bringing  
tears to her eyes. "I... I don't think so... This field... it's all  
dark energy. I can't sense anything through it... I can't sense  
anything BUT it!"   
  
Serena was staring intently at Sailor Mars. "Is there another way  
out of here?" Artemis asked.  
  
"Behind the throne..." The Shogun pointed. "A secret passage..."  
  
Mercury managed a smile. "Thanks, Shogun! You just saved me a  
scan!"  
  
Artemis nodded. "Let's go... everybody all together."  
  
Sailor Moon looked out at the darkness around them, her eyes wide.  
"You don't have to tell me..."  
  
Tuxedo Mask helped the Shogun to the throne, Artemis, still  
glowing with golden light, perched on Takauji's shoulder. Sailor Pluto  
followed, the nimbus of light surrounding her body, as well, as Jupiter  
and Venus stuck close behind her. The Shogun triggered a secret catch,  
and the throne slid to one side, revealing a hole in the floor.  
  
Sailor Moon put an arm around Mars, helping her up. Raye turned to  
give her a dirty look, but then doubled over as the Shadow's field  
ripped into her. She looked up at Luna, who glowed faintly, on Sailor  
Moon's shoulder, and then relaxed, nodding her head slightly. Mercury  
took a position on her other side, and the two girls helped their  
friend to the throne.  
  
As they stumbled towards the passage, a terrible pounding suddenly  
began on the ceiling above them. Sailor Moon looked up at the ceiling  
above her, but said nothing. Her jaw set at a firm line, she kept her  
grip on Sailor Mars as she and Mercury helped her into the hole. There  
was a massive explosion, and chunks of stone began to rain down on her  
from the ceiling, and yet she still did not cry out.  
  
"It's the Dominator." Sailor Mercury said. "It's coming through  
the roof. Get Mars out of here, I'll close the door."  
  
Sailor Moon nodded, still strangely calm, as Mercury triggered a  
switch on the wall near them. The throne began to slide closed, as the  
pounding of stone blocks, falling onto the palace floor, shook the  
ground underneath their feet. It sounded like the entire palace was  
collapsing on top of their escape route.  
  
Sailor Moon, Mars, and Mercury caught up with their friends  
quickly, as they had all stopped in the passage ahead of them. Mercury  
hurried forward, to find that their progress was blocked, by a field of  
solid black.  
  
She put her hand up to the field, and drew it back quickly, with a  
cry of pain. She then looked down at her computer, pressing keys  
rapidly as she scanned the barrier.  
  
"It's the edge of the Shadows' Dark Dome," Sailor Pluto said.  
"There's no way to get through it."  
  
"We can't have come this far just to be stopped HERE!" Sailor  
Jupiter wrapped her arms around herself, in a vain attempt to ward   
off the awful stinging pain of the darkness around them.  
  
Mercury examined her readings. "The energy is concentrated here,  
to the point where it's... well, it's completely solid. We could  
teleport through... but we wouldn't be able to take the Shogun with  
us."  
  
"We can't leave him here," Artemis said. "He'd never survive."  
  
"Then we're trapped." Sailor Mercury looked back at her friends.  
"And that Dominator is right behind us. It won't take him long to find  
this passage..."  
  
"What are we gonna do?" Sailor Moon asked, the terror beginning to  
return to her voice. But when Mars looked up at her, Sailor Moon seemed  
to gather herself up, forcing the fear away from her face.  
  
"Mercury?" she asked, not quite succeeding in keeping the  
desperation out of her voice. "Is there any way to get rid of this  
energy... channel it somewhere else?"  
  
Sailor Mars looked at her friend oddly, as Mercury continued her  
scans. "I don't think so... This field is drawn from the fabric of time  
and space itself. I wouldn't begin to know how to channel it...  
although Sailor Pluto might..."  
  
They all looked at the older Scout, who shrugged sadly. "If this  
were purely time energy, I might be able to use my staff... but it is  
filled with Dark Energy. I don't dare touch it... the Dominators could  
use that contact to gain even more control over the time stream."  
  
"Oh, all this trouble over time!" Venus exclaimed. "Why can't we  
just go back in time and do all this over... just set it all right!"  
  
Sailor Pluto shook her head. "What's done is done. Even I can't  
change that. Maybe if the entire time stream was in danger... but even  
then, there are rules that I have to follow."  
  
"But can't we just go back a little ways... a few minutes, to  
before the Shadows summoned this field?"  
  
"I don't think so," Mercury said. "And besides, the Dominators  
have control of the time stream right now. If we..."  
  
"Wait a minute," cut in Sailor Pluto. "Mercury, you said that  
there was an additional Dominator, one you hadn't accounted for, up on  
the roof."  
  
Sailor Mercury nodded. "After Sailor Moon saved..." She paused,  
for just a moment. "After Sailor Moon saved Togonara, I scanned the  
entire area. There were no Dominators left, only five Mystic Shadows.  
One of them was killed, here in the palace. That left four Shadows, the  
four that are outside. But I did NOT detect another Dominator until a  
few moments ago."  
  
Pluto looked at the ceiling, thoughtfully. "If he was waiting just  
outside of this time... in the time stream, as reinforcements maybe...  
then that might explain where he came from. If so, there should be a  
time rift in the area, one that he just came through."  
  
Mercury was scanning again. "I'm detecting something out of the  
ordinary. It could be a time rift. It seems similar to the one that I  
scanned in 1969, only not as strong."  
  
Pluto nodded. "Yes... Maybe I can use it, as well. Gather around  
me..."  
  
The Sailor Scouts moved in closer to her, joining hands as they  
formed a circle around Sailor Pluto. Sailor Mars waved Moon's help  
aside, joining the circle, as the cats and the Shogun crowded inside  
with the Scout in black. She raised her sceptre in the air.  
  
"PLUTO! POWER!" 


	10. A Stitch In Time

Sailor Moon: On The Edge Of Yesterday 

Chapter Ten: A Stitch In Time

Four dark, ghostly shapes closed in on the Shogun's palace, as the  
Sailor Scouts and their allies came up over a hill overlooking the  
stronghold. They watched as the Shadows took their positions at each  
corner, and the glowing, roiling form of a Dominator approached from  
the north.

From their vantage point, the Sailor Scouts could see the forces  
of Emperor Diago overrunning the city. Togonara and the rest of the  
Shogun's warriors faced off against them in front of the palace.

"Kei..." Mercury muttered, a look of worry crossing her face for a  
moment. Then she shoved it aside, concentrating on her computer.

"It worked!" Tuxedo Mask exclaimed. "We got here before the  
Shadows created their field! Now we can take them by suprise!"

"Four Shadows... four Scouts! Each of you attack one of them!"  
Sailor Moon pointed her sceptre at the Dominator. "Pluto, Tux and I  
will handle that creep! Let's go!"

She began to charge down the hillside, but Sailor Mercury put a  
hand on her shoulder. "Wait!"

Sailor Moon looked down at her. Mercury found herself a little  
taken aback at the serious look on her face. "What is it, Mercury? We  
don't have much time!"

"Except for my Ice Storm, I don't have any primarily offensive attacks.  
And Mars is..." She glanced back at the black-haired scout, who  
frowned at her. "And Sailor Mars can tell us that it's not a good idea to  
split up our forces. If you attack straight out, you blow our chance to catch  
them by suprise."

Sailor Moon sighed. "Then what do you suggest we do?"

"Just give me a moment." Sailor Mercury turned back to her  
computer. "I'll scan the approach to the palace, and see if there's a  
way to get onto the roof without being seen. That's where the Dominator  
is headed... if we can meet him there, we'll really catch him by  
suprise."

Artemis stared down at the palace. "We're also in the palace right  
now... maybe we should try and contact our former selves."

"Hm..." Tuxedo Mask nodded. "We would then outnumber them, two to  
one. We could get our former selves to attack the Dominator, while we  
attack the Shadows!"

Mercury looked up from her computer. "If we let ourselves know  
that we are here, and we therefore don't go back in time to escape from  
the Dominator, would we then not BE here?"

She paused a moment to let that paradox sink in. "No. I think it  
would be a bad idea to in any way interfere with what our former selves  
went through. That means that we should let the Shadows put up their  
field... even though we know that it will hurt us."

Her blue eyes widened, and then she returned to the computer. "I  
just realized... my former self may be able to detect me, out here. I'd  
better jam my computer so that I won't pick myself up..."

Artemis blinked. "Is everyone as confused as I am..."

"If a Dominator falls in the time stream," Tuxedo Mask quipped,  
"and nobody is there to see it, does he make a paradox?"

Sailor Mercury grinned, still typing busily. "More like, a stitch  
in time will save nine... and a Shogun."

"I don't understand..." Sailor Moon said.

Mercury looked up. Readings flashed across the inside of her visor  
as she stared at the palace. The Dominator was standing in the street  
near the front entrance, waiting patiently as his minions began to emit  
a swirling, smoky blackness. The darkness spread quickly, moving to  
encircle the walls of the palace. The palace itself ajoined the walls  
of the city at this point, so the Scouts were in position to approach  
the huge building from the rear.

"Right now, we are inside the palace, healing Shogun Takauji. The  
Shadows are moving into position to summon their field -- and the  
Dominator is going to go up onto the roof to attack us. Perhaps he can  
sense us, even through the walls. But as far as they know, we are  
trapped inside the palace. They do not realize that we are out here, as  
well as in there."

The Shogun stared at Mercury for a moment, and then looked down at  
the palace below. "Once the field is summoned," Mercury continued, "our  
former selves will try to escape through the tunnel. We will be trapped  
by the edge of the field, and then go back in time, to emerge from the  
tunnel on the other side of the hill, where we did, a few minutes ago.  
The time loop will be closed, and we will once again be in one place,  
at one time."

"We should have about five minutes before the Shadows summon the  
force field. That gives us time to move down there, and get into  
position. We should be able to attack the Dominator just about the time  
that our former selves are escaping into the tunnel. I don't see any  
way onto the roof without being seen, so we will have to take out one  
of the Shadows before we can attack the Dominator."

Artemis looked thoughtful. "I don't know. I'd feel better if we  
could all attack the Dominator at once. Mercury, do you think you can  
summon a fog, so we can sneak onto the roof without being seen?"

Mercury shook her head. "That would give us away. The moment we  
attack, the Shadows will realize that they've been tricked. I'll wait  
until just after we make our attack to summon a fog. That should  
protect us against a counterattack."

She looked at Sailor Venus. "You and Mars can attack the Shadow.  
That leaves Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Mask, Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Pluto  
to attack the Dominator. I hope its enough..."

"So do I." Artemis frowned. "You should join in the attack, as  
well..."

"I'm worried, too, Artemis. It took Jupiter, Moon, and myself to  
destroy the Dominator we fought, and it was already wounded. I don't  
even know if we CAN kill the Dominator in one attack, even with ALL of  
us attacking at once. That's why my 'attack' has to be a defense."

Shogun Takauji drew his sword. "I will go with you. If I strike at  
this... Dominator... as well..."

"No, Shogun!" Mercury held both hands up. "You CAN'T! These demons  
are far too powerful!"

"I will not hide! I will face my enemies! Otherwise, I am not fit  
to be Shogun!"

Mercury shook her head. "You don't understand! This isn't some  
soldier you can face man to man! This is a demon, a monster! It has  
powers, powers that can kill you in a single blow... as it almost did  
before!"

"And I dealt IT a deadly blow, as well..." He pointed out.

"Shogun, you must listen." Luna walked up to him, and he looked  
down at the cat, expectantly. He had seen the cats talking, and was  
apparently over his shock. "These demons... their goal is to kill you.  
By putting yourself in harm's way, you are giving them exactly what  
they want!"

"If it is my destiny to die here, then so be it."

"It is NOT your destiny! That is the whole POINT!"

The Shogun turned to look at Sailor Mars, who stared back at him,  
the challenge plain in her dark eyes. "I can't explain everything,  
Shogun. It would take too long. But believe me when I tell you that it  
is NOT your destiny to fall in battle to demons. If the Dominators get  
what they want... if they kill you... everything that you stand for,  
everything that you would have done, to make the world a better  
place... all of that will be undone."

"I am a priestess, Shogun. I am a Shinto priestess. It is my...  
destiny... to battle demons. That is why we are ALL here, now, with  
you. If you have any respect for me at all... let me do what I came  
here to do."

The Shogun slowly lowered his sword, still staring at the red  
skirted Scout. She stood tall, proudly, her fuku battered and blood  
stained, but she refused to show any sign of pain. He smiled a little  
as he nodded to her. "Very well."

Sailor Mars turned to see Mercury looking at her. She scowled at  
the little genius, and the look of worry that was so obvious, even  
through her visor. There was a moment in which the two girls stared at  
each other, but then Mercury looked away.

"The Dominator's moving again," Sailor Mercury said, looking down  
at the palace. "He's probably about to climb onto the roof. We only  
have a few minutes, now." The field of darkness around the palace was  
almost complete, a shell of black covering the entire building.

Mercury took one more glance at Sailor Mars, but she was already  
on her way down the hillside. "Let's go," Sailor Moon said, grabbing  
Tuxedo Mask by the arm. He pointed at a small clump of bushes near the  
corner of the palace, where the nearest Shadow lurked.

"That should be a good place to set up our ambush," he said.  
Mercury nodded. "It is. Stay low, and try not to attract attention.  
They aren't expecting us to be back here, but let's not let them know  
we're here."

"Right," Tuxedo Mask agreed, and he, Moon, Jupiter and Pluto set  
off for the chosen spot. Mercury, however, grabbed Sailor Venus by the  
arm as she passed, pulling her aside.

"Raye is hurt a lot worse that she's letting on," she whispered,  
only loud enough for Sailor Venus to hear. "Please be careful..."

Shogun Takauji watched from the hillside as the Sailor Scouts  
moved into position. He could see the shadowy demons completing their  
dome of darkness, and the creature the Scouts had called a 'Dominator'  
moving across the roof. It wouldn't be long, now.

"They are... extraordinary..." He muttered.

Luna smiled a little as she looked up at him, then turned to watch  
the palace as well. She glanced back over her shoulder, then looked  
back the other way, spinning around as she scoured the hilltop around  
her.

"Artemis! ARTEMIS!"

There was no answer. The Shogun frowned. "You are ALL very  
brave..." He commented.

Luna tried to fight down the rising sense of panic, not quite  
succeeding. "Oh, Artemis... be careful..."

In a clump of bushes, near the southeast corner of the palace,  
Tuxedo Mask crouched, Sailor Moon by his side. The other Sailor Scouts  
were hidden nearby, watching the progress of the Mystic Shadow, as it  
summoned the dark energy that now surrounded the palace. The energy  
seemed to rise, like smoke, off the black, shadowy form of the Shadow  
itself, tendrils of darkness that flowed into the solid black dome.

Tux glanced at Sailor Moon, then gestured with his arm at Venus and  
Mars. They nodded, then charged forward, into the clearing around the  
palace.

"VENUS! LOVE-CHAIN! ENCIRCLE!" "MARS! CELESTIAL! FIRE!  
SURROUND!" The double attack flowed together, the rings of fire  
joining with Venus' chain of golden light, as it lashed out at the  
Shadow. The energy wrapped around the Shadow's opaque blackness,  
trapping it, as the other Sailor Scouts leaped out of their hiding  
places, and sailed up onto the roof.

The Dominator turned to face them, apparently alerted by the  
attack on its servant, but it was already too late. A handful of roses  
struck it first, followed by a glittering field of electric energy, and  
then the blinding energy of Pluto's Dead Scream. As it recoiled in  
shock, roaring, Sailor Moon charged at it, closing to point blank range  
even as she swung her scepter.

"MOON... SCEPTER... ELIMINATION!" The Dominator exploded, in a  
blinding flash of light so intense that Sailor Moon had to throw an arm  
up over her eyes. There was suddenly a sickening lurch from under her  
feet. As the stone began to crack and drop out from underneath her,  
Serena remembered, too late, that the roof had collapsed while they  
were escaping into the tunnel behind the Shogun's throne.

Sailor Moon tensed as she felt slender arms around her waist, and  
then she was pulled backwards, flying up and back as her rescuer leaped  
out of danger. As they landed, she glanced back to see Sailor Mercury  
smiling at her apologetically. "Sorry, Serena. I should have warned  
you..."

There was a roar from down below, and a loud scream. The two girls  
whirled, just in time to see Sailor Mars struck down by the Shadow. She  
hit the wall, hard, and then collapsed to the ground.

"RAYE!" Sailor Moon screamed. Her cry was almost drowned out  
by Sailor Mercury, who spun into her attack dance, her voice slightly  
choked, but still load and commanding.

"MERCURY! BUBBLES! BLAST!" She leaped off of the roof. The fog  
rolled down after her, as if following, as she landed in front of  
Sailor Mars. Ignoring the Shadow, she knelt at Mars' side, ripping  
strips from her skirt as she bandaged the worst of her friend's wounds.

"All my fault..." She was muttering, as Sailor Moon dropped to her  
side. "This is all my fault. I was too SLOW! First Kei, and now you.  
I should have told you to stay behind..."

Sailor Moon said nothing, as she brandished her scepter. The fog  
was closing in around them, and the Shadow was distracted, but she  
didn't trust it not to try and finish the job. As she watched the  
monster recoil back, she realized that it was Artemis, leaping onto  
the creature's head, and back again, keeping it busy, and away from  
Sailor Mars.

"VENUS! METEOR! SHOWER!" As the Shadow lunged at Artemis, it  
blundered right into Venus's attack. It exploded into a roiling cloud  
of darkness, which dissipated in the bombardment of blazing light. As  
the fog cut off her view of them, Sailor Moon heard Venus call out to  
her cat, and Artemis's assurance that he was all right.

She looked back down at Raye. Sailor Mars looked bad, a puddle of  
blood spreading away from her head, a huge, gaping wound exposed on her  
side, where the fabric of her costume had been ripped away. Mercury was  
binding her ribs, but Moon could see bone, under the strips of blood-  
stained cloth. She put a hand to her mouth, horrified.

Mercury worked quietly, ignoring the tears that blurred her  
vision. She needed the visor up, right now, and couldn't take the time  
to bring it down, and wipe her eyes. Unlike Sailor Moon, she could see  
exactly how bad the damage was... and how long Sailor Mars had to live.  
At the moment, she envied Sailor Moon.

Up on the hillside, one other person saw Raye fall. Shogun Takauji  
unbuckled his scabbard, and using it as a cane, began to limp down the  
hillside. He didn't get far, however, before Luna leaped in front of  
him.

"You can't go down there!" Luna yelled. "You'll destroy everything  
they're fighting for... everything RAYE'S fighting for!"

"I HAVE to, Luna! I care about Raye more than ANYTHING! I have to  
SAVE her!"

"I care about her too, Shogun! Don't you think that I want to run  
down there, like Artemis did, and claw that demon's eyes out? Of COURSE  
I do! But I don't, because I need you to stay HERE, out of danger, and  
I HAVE to keep you safe!"

"But..."

Luna planted her four feet firmly apart, as she lowered her head,  
fixing the Shogun with a stare. "Don't make me stop you. I don't want  
to fight you. But if I must... Sailor Moon told me to guard you, and  
keep you from harm, and I will, at the cost of my LIFE if necessary."

Takauji stared at the cat, but made no move to put up his weapon.  
He glanced down at the palace, and the thick fog that was shielding  
Raye from his view. "The Scouts are dealing with the Shadows," Luna  
said. "And they will take care of Raye. If she does... if she DOES  
die... she will have died defending her world. That is her duty. And it  
is mine as well."

The Shogun sighed, leaning on his sword. "I will wait. But if  
those demons look like they're winning..."

Luna nodded. "Then we will BOTH go down there. And we will go  
down fighting."

Deep within the fog back, the sound of battle and flashes of  
light told Sailor Moon that the Shadows were being drawn away. She  
could hear the jibes and taunts of Artemis, as he lured the demons  
further and further from their corner of the palace. "What's the  
matter, guys," he was saying. "Missing a leader? Whup. You missed!  
Come on, can't you shoot any better than that!"

Behind her, she heard Sailor Mars stir. Her voice was  
frighteningly weak, and she had to strain to make herself heard.  
"That... idiot... cat... Don't let him... die... for me."

Sailor Moon whirled around, and dropped next to her. "RAYE! Hang  
on!" She grabbed her locket. "We'll save you, Raye!"

"It's... too late for that..." Raye coughed, and blood came up.  
Serena put both hands to her mouth, biting back a scream. "You've got  
to save... history... don't... waste time... on me..."

"RAYE, NO!" Sailor Moon grabbed her by the shoulders. She could  
feel the tears running down her face, but she didn't care about that.  
"You can't give up now! YOU CAN'T!"

Sailor Mercury looked up at her, her own eyes wet with tears. But  
then she suddenly looked back over her shoulder. "SAILOR MOON! BEHIND  
YOU!"

"MOON! SCEPTER! ELIMINATION!" Sailor Moon reacted even before  
Mercury cried out, leaping to her feet and whirling on the Shadow with  
her scepter already in motion. Mercury ducked, covering Raye's body, a  
little shocked at how fast their leader was moving.

"If you want to get to her, you'll have to go through me FIRST!"  
Serena hissed, as the energy slammed into the Shadow. It roared as it  
faded out of existance, but its anger was nothing compared to the fury  
in Serena's blue eyes.

"M... Meatball head..." Raye muttered. "Don't... risk your life...  
for me."

Sailor Moon turned back around and dropped to her knees by her  
side. She looked up at Mercury. "You've done all you can for her," she  
said, in a businesslike tone of voice. "The others need you. I'll take  
care of Raye." She pulled out her locket again.

Mercury stared at her, stunned, for a few moments. Then, without a  
word, she grabbed Sailor Moon in a fierce hug, then leaped to her feet,  
and disappeared into the fog.

Sailor Moon looked down, to find Sailor Mars looking at her in  
that same, startled way. She opened the locket, and Mars gasped, as the  
light began to play over her broken body. "Now then..." Sailor Moon  
said. Her expression was stern, but her face was still wet with tears.

"Now we FIGHT..."


	11. Choices

Sailor Moon: On The Edge Of Yesterday  
  
Chapter Eleven: Choices  
  
  
Sailor Mercury tracked the movements of the Shadow through the fog  
as it searched for them. Artemis continued to leap within range, and  
then dart away, and the other Scouts circled the Shadow, further  
confusing it. There was only one left, but Mercury's fog was beginning  
to clear, and they wouldn't be able to distract it forever.  
  
There was a shout from the street, and Mercury noticed Togonara  
Kei, finally driving the forces of the Emperor away from the palace. As  
she watched him, he turned and looked up at her. She felt her heart  
begin to pound faster as their eyes met, and Kei called out to her,  
"Amy!"  
  
The Shadow turned at the sound, and its roiling form began to move  
toward the Shogun's army. Mercury quickly forced down the sudden flash  
of fear. She had intended to reinforce her fog, but she knew that, fog  
or not, if the Shadow found its way into the ranks of the soldiers, it  
would slaughter them. Her feelings for Kei aside, it was time to  
attack.  
  
"Scouts!" She yelled. "Target the spot where I'm aiming my Ice  
Storm!"  
  
"MERCURY! ICE STORM! BLAST!" Artemis raced out of the area as  
Mercury's wave of frost blasted over the Shadow, freezing him in his  
tracks. Jupiter's lightning followed, ripping through the monster in a  
sheet of sparkling energy. A flurry of roses struck it at the same  
time. The Shadow was swept out of existance, and vanished.  
  
Mercury put a hand to her forehead as she turned back to Sailor  
Mars. She could hear Togonara approaching through the fog, but it was  
her friend that she was concerned about. She watched Serena for a long   
moment, as the little blonde huddled over Sailor Mars, the light from   
the Princess's body shining down onto the injured Scout.  
  
From the Princess's BODY?! Mercury cried out as she realized what  
Serena was doing. She ran to her side, trying to pull her away, but the  
Princess was holding Raye in a death grip, refusing to let her go. Amy  
could see the energy flowing out of her, gathering in Sailor Moon's   
crystal, and pouring down over Raye's bloodied form.  
  
"NO, SERENA!" Mercury yelled. "DON'T DO IT!" She could feel her  
own life energy being drawn out of her, sucked into the Silver Crystal,  
but she let it go willingly. Every little bit that she could give meant  
that much that Serena wouldn't have to give up of her own life.  
  
"STOP IT!!!!!" She slapped Serena, hard, but the Princess would  
not be swayed.   
  
"RAYE!" Amy called out. She jumped over Raye's body, grabbing her  
arm, trying to pull her away from Serena. Her skin was still warm, but  
pale, deathly pale. "Raye! Come back to us! If you don't, Serena will  
DIE! She's giving her own life to bring you back! You can't let her do  
it!!!!!"  
  
Just as she thought it was too late, Sailor Mars coughed, and  
started breathing. Mercury grabbed the Princess, and shoved her away  
from Mars, forcefully. To her relief, she sat up, blinking, weakened  
but still alive. Serena doubled over, crying out as if in agony, and  
suddenly transformed back into Sailor Moon. She burst into tears,  
choking and panting to catch her breath all at the same time.  
  
"Serena..." Mars gasped. "You... idiot... How could you...?"  
  
Sailor Moon just knelt on the grass, weeping. "I had to... I had  
to... The Crystal... didn't have the power... I... can't... lose you   
again."  
  
"And... if you died... like that... for me... how do you think   
that would make me feel...?"  
  
Sailor Moon looked up at her, her face streaked with tears. She  
glanced up at Mercury, but the little Scout could say nothing. She  
just stared. Serena suddenly leaped to her feet, and, with an arm  
across her face, ran from them both.  
  
The other Sailor Scouts turned, startled, as Serena ran up the  
hillside past them. Amy started to stand up and go after her, but Raye  
pulled her back down.  
  
Gritting her teeth against the pain, Raye pulled herself up Amy's  
arm. She stumbled up the hill, seemingly getting stronger as she made   
her way up after Serena. Mina and Leta watched, concerned, as Amy  
looked down at her computer.  
  
"What... what's going on?" Mina asked.  
  
"Unless I miss my guess," Amy answered, "Something that's been  
coming for a long time."  
  
Sailor Moon stood on top of the hill, her arms wrapped around  
herself, staring at the ground. Sailor Mars walked up behind her.  
Slowly, almost timidly, she put a hand on her friend's shoulder.  
  
"I saw what you did back there," Raye said quietly. "I saw...   
how you took charge. You were trying to protect me, weren't you?"  
  
Serena was silent. "You were very brave, Serena."  
  
"I wasn't brave," Serena said. Her voice sounded choked. "I was  
scared to death..."  
  
"But you fought anyway. That's what being brave is all about."  
  
"I almost got us all KILLED, Raye!" Serena turned to her, her eyes  
filled with tears -- and pain. "Mercury saw. I was trying to be tough.  
And look what it got me. I AM a ditz. I AM a Meatball Head. And it  
almost cost me my best friend..."  
  
Raye put her arm around Serena's shoulder, as she began to sob  
again. "I'm tired of it, Raye. I'm tired of my friends dying... or  
getting hurt... or leaving. I'm tired of being scared all the time."  
  
She was quiet for a moment. "I'm tired of being afraid that I'll  
never see any of you again..."  
  
She broke down again, and Raye held her as she cried. "I'm  
sorry..." Raye finally said. "I never realized..."  
  
"Serena, you're not a ditz. When you WANT to be, you can be as  
brave, and as strong, and as smart as any of us. I've SEEN that in you,  
I KNOW it's there..."  
  
She paused, the silence broken only by Serena's sniffles. "I've  
been trying to help you... make you stronger. I've been trying to make  
you into that Princess that we all know you can be. But... I guess I  
didn't... I didn't see... how much it was hurting you."  
  
Serena spoke quietly, her voice so low it almost couldn't be  
heard. "I just wish I could be... Serena. Plain, ordinary Serena..."  
  
"I know..." Raye ran a hand through one of Serena's ponytails. "I  
know, now. I'll... I'll try to stop pushing you so hard..."  
  
"No... No!" Serena looked up at her. Tears ran down her cheeks, as  
she stared into Raye's dark eyes. "I WANT you to push! I WANT to become  
that Princess! I want to be everything you want me to be..."  
  
She gave a little sob. "I want you to be proud of me."  
  
"Oh, Serena..." Raye's voice cracked. She could feel the sting of  
tears on her cheeks as well. She hugged Serena as tightly as she could,  
ignoring the complaints from her ribs. "I AM proud of you, Serena,"  
Raye said. "I've never been anything BUT proud of you."  
  
"Raye..."  
  
The two of them turned to see Shogun Takauji standing behind them.  
Luna was sitting at his feet, her expression somewhere between  
incredulity and amusement.  
  
"Raye... are you all right?" the Shogun asked.  
  
She took a deep breath, wiping away the tears. "Shogun..." Raye  
stepped forward, looking the man in the eye. "... I know that you care  
about me, and... well, truthfully, I really think that you are a fine  
man. But..."  
  
The Shogun held up his hand. "It's all right, Raye. I understand."  
  
"You do?"  
  
He nodded. He smiled a little as he looked at Sailor Moon, then he  
looked back at Mars. "You are a warrior. Your heart and soul will  
always belong to the one you have sworn to protect... won't they?"  
  
Raye stared at him for a moment, then took both of his hands. "I  
really wish I could have gotten to know you better."  
  
"It's better this way," he said. "Come on."  
  
They walked back to the palace wall, where they found Togonara Kei  
and Amy, holding each other in a tight embrace. Serena bit her lip.  
  
"Warlord..." The Shogun began. There was then a long moment of  
silence, as the samurai and his tiny love stood, motionless. Then, Amy  
suddenly hugged Kei fiercely, crying out a little, and then let him go.  
  
She looked back at the Shogun. "You know... don't you?"  
  
Takauji nodded. "You are from the future. My future. You came here  
from across time... just like you took me across time to escape from  
that trap."  
  
Togonara nodded. "Serena's story. It was true..."  
  
Amy looked back up at Togonara, and the Shogun looked at him as  
well. "They must return to where they come from, my friend," he said.  
"We must BOTH let them go. This isn't their time."  
  
Togonara stared down at Amy for a long moment. "Would you stay...  
if I ordered you to... If I BEGGED you to?"  
  
Amy hugged him. Now it was she who was blinking away tears.  
"PLEASE don't do that to me! You don't KNOW how bad I want to stay with  
you! You don't KNOW how tired I am of fighting monster after monster,  
always worrying about my friends, and what could happen to them..."  
  
She was silent for a moment, and Raye glanced at Serena. The  
little blonde was staring at the ground, and Raye put her arm around  
her again. Serena looked up at her, startled, and then leaned against  
her shoulder.  
  
"Oh, Kei..." Amy held him tightly, her voice slightly muffled as  
she pressed her face against his chest. "You don't know how easy it  
would be just to let you protect me, and let everything be all right."  
  
She let go of him. "But I can't do that. If stay with you, I'll be  
worrying about my friends every moment of every day. And what'll be  
even worse... I'll have no way of knowing... whether they're alive or  
dead... whether they need me..."  
  
"I have to go," she said simply.  
  
Kei nodded, but then gathered her into his arms. "I will miss   
you, little Amy. I will miss you terribly."  
  
There was a moment of silence. Then Amy muttered, so quietly that  
Tognara almost doubted that she spoke at all, "One last secret..."  
  
"And... don't be shocked by what I'm wearing..."  
  
There was a sparkling, shimmering blue light from her body. Her  
Sailor costume melted, and faded into the one piece bathing suit she'd  
been wearing on the boat. She looked up at Kei, blushing a little, but  
with tears streaming down her face.  
  
"This one last time... I wanted you to see me... as I really   
am..."  
  
"I always did..." Togonara whispered. He leaned forward, and  
kissed her.  
  
They remained like that for so long that Sailor Jupiter began to  
clear her throat. Amy finally stepped away from the warlord, her hand  
reaching towards his face. She walked backwards, her eyes never leaving  
Kei's, until she joined the circle of the Sailor Scouts.  
  
"The next stop is the Civil War," Sailor Pluto said, "the next  
nexus of the Dominators' interference..."  
  
"I love you, Kei! I'll never forget you!" Amy held her pen aloft  
as they all began to combine their powers for the Sailor Teleport.  
There was a swirl of sparkling blue water, as she transformed back into  
Sailor Mercury.  
  
"Goodbye, Amy!" Kei called out. "I will always love you!"  
  
As the power began to build up around them, Mercury reached out,  
and took Sailor Jupiter's hand. Just before the world vanished behind a  
blinding white light, she looked up at her taller friend. "Thanks."  
  
"For what?"  
  
Amy gave her a sad smile. "For being jealous of ME... for a  
change..."  
  
* * * * *  
  
The Sailor Scouts felt dizzy, disoriented, as they fell through  
the blinding brightness of the time stream. They could all feel Sailor  
Pluto faltering, as their progress slowed, and began to meander off of  
the trail that they seemed to be following.  
  
*I'm... using... the time key to bring us through time... not the  
Dominator's time stream. I'm having to force my way... AGAINST the time  
stream... in a way...* Her telepathic "voice" seemed to be faltering,  
as well. *I need... your help... any... energy you can give me...*  
  
*Of course,* Sailor Moon sent back. The Scouts began to add their  
power to Pluto's and their path seemed to move back to a steady course.  
None of them knew where they were going, they just trusted Sailor Pluto  
to take them safely to the next nexus in time.  
  
They dropped out of a brightly glowing portal, and landed in a  
heap on a mossy hillside. "Oh..." Sailor Moon complained, and she tried  
to untangle herself from her friends. "Why did I end up at the bottom?"  
  
Sailor Pluto stood up, weaving slightly. "I'm sorry... I... Ow...  
I didn't have enough strength to send us through one by one. Since we  
all entered the time stream at once..."  
  
Mercury looked up at the portal, about ten feet above their heads.  
It closed quickly. "It doesn't seem like you had enough power to choose  
our landing place, either..."  
  
She shook her head. "I just tried to make sure we didn't appear  
under the ground. Other than that..." She put a hand to her forehead.  
"I wasn't sure I'd even be able to get the portal open."  
  
"That's okay," Sailor Moon said reassuringly. "We understand."  
  
"We've got company," Mercury told them.  
  
A couple of horsemen came thundering down the road that wound past  
the hill. The lead soldier was in a blue uniform, and his pursuer was  
in grey. The man in blue turned back and shook his fist at the other  
rifleman, and was shot for his trouble.  
  
Sailor Moon gasped as the soldier fell off of his horse, and the  
man in grey stopped next to him. He dismounted, and began to search  
through the man's pockets. Suddenly, he whirled on the Sailor Scouts,  
pointing his rifle right at them. All five of the girls raised their  
hands at once, Darien raising his only a second later.  
  
"What th' hell?" He said, looking the girls up and down. "You  
ain't Yankees... What's with th' weird get-ups?"  
  
Sailor Moon looked terrified. "What'd he say, Mercury?"  
  
"He's not sure who we are," she answered.  
  
Mars put one hand on Sailor Moon's shoulder. "Everybody just stay  
calm," she said. "We'll be all right if we don't scare him."  
  
"Hey..." He pointed at them. "You CHINESE... ain't ya?"  
  
Artemis walked forward. "Meow?" He moved up to the soldier slowly,  
carefully, but making it seem like he was just an ordinary, curious  
cat.  
  
"Well, hello, fella..." the man muttered. He looked down as  
Artemis rubbed up against his leg. "You friendly, ain't ya? You an' yer  
chinese friends shouldn't be out here. Ya might get shot..."  
  
He pointed his rifle at the others. "All right... any a' you  
Chinks know how ta talk English? What are y'all doin' here???"  
  
"No shoot!" Serena said, in the best English she could muster. She  
stared, wide-eyed, at the gun. "We lost!"  
  
"No kiddin'," the soldier said. "Well, I guess none a' ya speak  
English. I'll have ta hold you until I get a translator..."  
  
He waved the gun. "You understand? Stay there. Don't move. I won't  
shoot ya if you don't move."  
  
Sailor Moon seemed to relax a little, so it seemed that she caught  
it. Mercury studied the man closely. "We should probably continue to  
pretend that we don't speak English. They'll keep us alive until they   
can ask us some questions. The longer we play dumb, the better off we'll   
be..."  
  
"Since he's Confederate, though, we should probably make him think  
we're on his side..." Tuxedo Mask put in.  
  
The soldier perked up. "Confederate?" He'd heard that.  
  
"Confederate," Tux said. "We... help... Confederate..."  
  
"Careful..." Mercury hissed.  
  
"You on our side, eh?" He said. "Well, I'll wait 'til I can get  
someone who speaks yer language afore I trust ya. Just don't move,  
okay?"  
  
"Don't move... okay," Tux repeated.   
  
At that moment, there was the sound of horse's hooves up the road,  
and another soldier in grey appeared. A few more soldiers followed  
behind, some on horseback, most on foot.  
  
Their captor saluted as the other soldier approached. "Major  
Ferguson! I caught a Union spy, sir. Shot him. He may have some ammo, I  
didn't finish searching him..."  
  
One of the footmen knelt over the body, and began to loot it.  
Sailor Moon put a hand to her mouth. "That's horrible..." she  
commented.  
  
"The South was always low on supplies during the war," Amy told  
her. "They need to get whatever ammunition they can find."  
  
The horseman looked over at her. He'd heard the word "South."  
  
"Who are these... girls?"  
  
"I dunno, Major. I caught 'em wandering around out here. One of  
'em said they's lost, and I think another was tryin' to say that they  
work fer us. But I ain't heard a' Lee bringin' any Chinks down here..."  
  
The Major was studying them. "One thing's for sure... they ain't  
hidin' any weapons in them little skimpy outfits." He grinned at the  
soldier. "So they can't be much of a threat."  
  
"I hear Chinese wear weird clothes. The ladies wear dresses with  
big bows on 'em." He pointed at the Scouts' costumes. "I guess this is  
what they consider normal where they come from."  
  
"Maybe..." Major Ferguson studied Tux's tuxedo for a moment. "Take  
'em into camp, Corporal. Then we can find out what they're doing here,  
an' what they know..."  
  
The soldier nodded. Then he pointed his rifle at the Sailor  
Scouts. "Okay... all of you, move. Yer comin' with us..."  
  
Darien stepped forward, still holding his hands up, and the girls  
followed. He fell in line behind some of the infantrymen, as a couple  
more of them took up a position behind him, pointing their guns at him.  
He folded his hands behind his head, as they all started to march along  
down the road.  
  
"Well..." he commented. "Here we go again..." 


	12. From Bad To Worse

Sailor Moon: On The Edge Of Yesterday  
  
Chapter Twelve: From Bad To Worse  
  
  
The Sailor Scouts were taken to the Confederate camp, and held at  
gunpoint outside one of the larger tents. The camp was busy. At any  
given time, there were several dozen soldiers passing in front of the  
main tent. And, of course, there was a squad of riflemen posted to  
watch the prisoners, as well. Tux and Mercury kept glancing at each  
other, while Sailor Moon huddled against Tuxedo Mask's other side,  
eyeing the Corporal and his men fearfully.  
  
It was the conversation inside the tent that had Tux and Mercury's  
attention. Major Fergeson had gone into the tent several minutes  
before, and was talking with a Colonel, a man he had called "Olsen."  
  
"I'm not sure I like this new officer that General Lee sent," the  
Major was saying. "I don't know... there's just something about his  
that I don't trust."  
  
"Lee wouldn't send us someone who didn't know what he was doing.  
General Devin may seem a bit strange, but he seems to have a good plan.  
If we are to take Vicksburg tommorrow, we will NEED a good plan..."  
  
As if the mention of the name had summoned him, a figure stepped  
out of the shadows behind one of the other tents and walked towards  
them. He was a sinister-looking man, dressed in an Confederate Uniform,  
elaborately trimmed and decorated with medals. He stared at the Sailor  
Scouts as he approached.  
  
"Who are these people, Corporal?" He asked their guard. "I am  
supposed to be meeting with the Colonel."  
  
The soldier looked a little frightened as he snapped to attention.  
Darien noted that the rest of the soldiers seemed intimidated by this  
General, as well. This wasn't a good sign...  
  
"Th... they're Chinamen, sir..." The Corporal managed.  
  
"Chinamen? I can see that, Corporal. What are they doing here?"  
  
At that moment, the tent flap opened. Major Ferguson and an older  
gentleman, most likely the Colonel, stepped out.  
  
"Corporal Gaines captured them in the woods, sir. We don't know  
where they came from or what they're doing here." He glanced at the  
Colonel. "I meant to bring them up next. They say that they work for  
us, but we can't be sure unless we can find someone who speaks their  
language..."  
  
The Colonel looked the girls over. There was something fatherly  
about his gaze. The General, however, waved a hand at them, dismissing  
them.   
  
"They're probably Yankee spies, sent to find out about our battle  
plans."  
  
"Do you really think so?" The Colonel asked.  
  
"Easy enough to find out. Interrogate them. If they don't give you  
a straight answer..."  
  
He glanced at Sailor Moon, a sadistic smile on his face. The  
little blonde gasped as she met his eyes. Just for a moment, just for  
the most fleeting of seconds, there had been a flash of purple light  
from his eyes.  
  
"If they don't give you a straight answer, Corporal," he said.  
"Shoot them."  
  
"Take them in the tent," Colonel Olsen ordered. You can question  
them there, Major." He then turned back to the General. "We'll take  
this meeting to MY tent..."  
  
"A good idea, Colonel," the General said. "I understand you just  
got in a case of Kentucky Bourbon, did you not? We can discuss my plans  
over a few drinks..."  
  
As the two men headed off across the camp, Major Ferguson turned  
to Gaines. "Corporal. Find me a translator. There has to be SOMEBODY in  
this damned camp who speaks Chinese..."  
  
He then lifted the tent flap. "You..." He pointed to Darien.  
"Chinaman. Inside."  
  
Darien ducked into the tent, the girls following. The Major  
followed. "All right," he began. "You seem to know a little English.  
What are you doing here? You're right in the path of a major battle, do  
you know that?"  
  
Darien just looked confused, and shrugged. "Not speak English...  
We get lost..."  
  
"You said that..." The Major looked perturbed. "All right. We'll  
wait..."  
  
As he turned to look out of the tent, Mercury slipped up behind  
Sailor Jupiter. As the tall Scout looked down at her, she slipped out  
her computer. Jupiter nodded, then turned back to watch the Major,  
while Mercury did her scan from behind her back.  
  
Meanwhile, Sailor Moon grabbed on to Darien's arm. "That  
General... did you see his eyes?" She shivered.  
  
"He's a Dominator," Mercury said quietly. "I'm reading a definate  
energy pattern from him, in the Colonel's tent. And there is no record  
of a General Devin in the records..."  
  
"He's the center of the time disturbance," Sailor Pluto agreed.  
"He's clearly here to change history..."  
  
"By helping the Confederates to win at Vicksburg..." Mercury  
finished.  
  
"Hey!" The Major interrupted. "Cut out the China talk. I can't  
understand what you're saying, so just shut up until I can find someone  
who does!"  
  
Sailor Mercury fell silent, but continued to work at her computer.  
Artemis, however, began to meow plaintively. As the Major looked down  
at him, he started digging a hole in the earth floor.  
  
"Oh, no you don't!" He yelled. He grabbed the white cat, and  
pitched him out of the tent. "Take care of your business out there!"  
  
The Major then greeted someone outside the tent. "Lieutenant  
Kelley..."  
  
"You wanted someone who speaks Chinese, sir?"  
  
"Come on in." The Major stepped back, and a young soldier entered  
the tent.  
  
Mercury looked up at a gasp from Sailor Jupiter. Lita's green eyes  
grew wide, and she staggered backwards. "Freddy...?" Somehow, Mercury  
managed to catch her tall friend as she collapsed against her.  
  
"You understand China talk?"   
  
"I worked with them before the war started, sir. I was an engineer  
with the railroad."  
  
"Good." The Major looked at Darien. "Okay... ask them who they  
are, and what they're doing here."  
  
Kelley repeated the question, in Chinese. Mercury glanced at  
Tuxedo Mask. "We don't speak Chinese," she said, in Japanese. "We   
speak Japanese. Can you understand me?"  
  
The lieutenant looked at her, confused. Amy looked back at Darien  
again. "He doesn't speak Japanese," she said. "And what he said about  
the railroads is a good idea. We could say that we were hired to repair  
the railroads that had been knocked out by the war."  
  
"What's going on?" The Major asked.  
  
"I don't know, sir. I don't know WHAT they're saying."  
  
"WHAT?" The Major bit back a curse. "I though you said you speak  
Chinese!!!!!"  
  
"I do, sir. But they're speaking JAPANESE."  
  
"We not Chinese," Darien said, in English. "Japanese."  
  
Lieutenant Kelley shrugged. "Chinese and Japanese are two  
different languages, sir. I only know a few words. I think the girl  
said that they were hired to work on the railroads, but I couldn't  
understand any more than that."  
  
"Freddy..." Lita muttered again. Mercury shoved a little harder on  
her, trying to get her to stand upright.   
  
"Work on WHOSE railroads?" the Major said. "Ours, or theirs?"  
  
Kelley shrugged. "I need a distraction," Amy muttered, as Darien  
met her eyes. "I need to finish my scan."  
  
"I'll handle it..." cut in Sailor Venus. She then walked up to the  
lieutenant.   
  
"I'm awfully thirsty," she said, still speaking Japanese. "Could I  
borrow that pitcher of water?" Without waiting for a reply, she reached  
out and grabbed the pitcher that the Colonel had left on the table in  
the middle of the test. Major Ferguson, startled, stepped forward to  
stop her, and knocked the pitcher out of her hand.  
  
"Oops!" Venus jumped back as the water splashed all over the  
Major's uniform. "I'm sorry! Oh, dear..." Casting around her for  
something to dry him off with, she grabbed several papers off of the  
table.  
  
"LEAVE THOSE ALONE!" The Major yelled. Venus jumped back again,  
frightened, and this time knocked over a lantern. Within seconds, the  
papers on the table were ablaze.  
  
"FIRE!!!!!" yelled Kelley. Venus gave a scream, and tried to  
smother the fire with the wet papers in her hand, but they caught fire,  
as well. Crying out, she threw the flaming mess down, against the edge  
of the test.  
  
"Venus!" Mercury yelled. This was too MUCH of a distraction! She  
shoved Jupiter ahead of her. "We'd better get out of here!"  
  
As the Sailor Scouts and the two Confederate soldiers ran out of  
the tent, they found the Colonel and several soldiers running up the  
tent. "What the..." The Colonel exclaimed. "The plans! Are they... ?"  
  
"Destroyed, sir..." Major Ferguson told him.   
  
"Who started the fire?"  
  
"She did." Kelley dragged Sailor Venus forward, who was looking a  
little dazed. She was muttering, "Gomen..." and couldn't meet the  
Colonel's eyes.  
  
"Pretty little thing... shoot her."  
  
"What?"  
  
The Colonel gestured to a nearby tree. "Shoot her."  
  
"No! NO!" Sailor Moon struggled to run to her, but Tuxedo Mask  
held her back.  
  
"You can't be serious, sir!" The Lieutenant protested. "It was an  
accident! She knocked a lantern over... it wasn't on purpose!"  
  
"She's destroyed our plans, which it'll take days to reformulate,  
destroyed one of our tents, and..."  
  
"She's just a GIRL, Colonel! A CHILD!" Lieutenant Kelley seemed  
appaled.  
  
The Colonel turned on him. "I gave an ORDER, mister. Now, SHOOT  
her!"  
  
"No! No! No shoot! MINA!!!!!" Serena continued to struggle as  
Venus was tied to the tree. Sailor Mars clenched her fists. She could  
feel cool air rushing towards her from Sailor Mercury, drawn in as the  
air SHE was heating rose skyward. She let the power gather, as Venus  
struggled, her blue eyes wide with terror.   
  
If this was the only way to save Mina... then history be DAMMED!  
  
* * * * *  
  
Artemis wandered around the camp. There didn't seem to be much  
going on, certainly nothing that would alter the course of history and  
change the world as he knew it. But this time, Artemis knew, they'd  
managed to find their way into the ENEMY'S camp. It just remained to   
find out who was the enemy.  
  
He turned at a prickling from the back of his neck. It was that  
General, Devin. The cat looked around, trying to seem nonchalant, but  
his danger senses were going off like alarm bells. The General was  
headed right for him, and the man's eyes began to glow slightly as he  
increased his pace.  
  
Artemis slipped under the canvas of one of the tents. He found  
himself in the cook's tent. The pots and pans hanging around were being   
gathered up by the cook, and the stove was cold.  
  
The man spotted him. "Hey, kitty. You want some bread? I don't  
have anything else, we're about to move on, and everything else is  
packed up..."  
  
Artemis walked over to him, meowing in a friendly tone, but then  
the tent flap opened. Artemis dived under a table as the General came  
in. "Private..." he said. "Did a cat come in here?"  
  
The cook saluted and stood at attention. "Y... yes, sir." He  
pointed at the table Artemis was hiding under. "He ran under there,  
sir."  
  
"I'll take him." General Devin stepped over to the table, as  
Artemis cowered back into the shadows. He bent over, meeting the cat's  
eyes, and smiled evilly.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"NO! NOOO!!!" Serena was wailing as the soldiers pointed their  
guns at Mina. Sailor Venus, for her part, looked terrified, her crystal  
blue eyes wide as she stared at the rifles that were levelled at her.   
  
"Ready..." The Colonel said.  
  
"Help us!" Sailor Jupiter ran over to Kelley, grabbing his arm.  
"No shoot... stop!" She didn't speak English any better than Serena,  
but she looked up at the Lieutenant, on the verge of tears, pleading  
with him to put a stop to this. But Kelley just shook his head, looking  
at the ground.  
  
"Aim..." The Colonel said. Raye and Amy both brought their arms  
up, their bodies tensing.  
  
"STOP! I SPEAK ENGLISH! STOP!!!!!" Mina struggled to pull her arms  
free, then looked back at the Colonel. "Please, it was an accident! I  
didn't mean it, I swear!!!"  
  
The old Colonel smiled at her. "There... you see. That wasn't so  
hard, was it?"  
  
Sailor Mercury frowned as she lowered her hands. Raye ran forward  
to help Sailor Moon, who had broken free of Darian, and was trying to  
untie Mina. Colonel Olson gestured for his men to lower their guns.   
  
"Why did you lie to us?" the Colonel asked Mina. Serena had  
managed to free her from the ropes, and Mina stepped away from the  
tree, still trembling a little.  
  
She bit her lip as she stared at the Colonel for a moment, and  
then looked at the ground. "I'm sorry... I'm the only one in our group  
that speaks English. I didn't think it would make any difference..."  
  
One of the soldiers raised his rifle again. "Colonel! She's...  
British! Everyone knows they work for the North!"  
  
"NO! NO!" Mina put up her hands. "That's why I didn't want you to  
know I spoke English! My husband and I stayed in England for a while,  
before we were sent over here, but we're on your side, I SWEAR!!!"  
  
Mercury smiled. That was pretty good. And no one's attention was  
on her... She silently slipped her computer out and began scanning the  
camp again.  
  
"What are you doing here?"   
  
Mina glanced at Amy, but then noticed that her computer was out,  
and looked back at the Colonel. "Um... we were brought here to work on  
the railroads... or, our husbands were, anyway. But we got separated  
from our troop in an attack. Our... husbands must have been... um...   
captured, or escaped with the others. But we got lost..."  
  
She glanced at Amy, who gave her a smile and a nod. Lieutenant  
Kelley, meanwhile, stepped forward.  
  
"I believe her," he said. "The North has been doing a lot of  
damage down here, blowing up the railroads. The Chinese built most of  
the railroads in the first place, they'd certainly be able to help  
repair it..."  
  
Mercury concealed her computer behind her back. "Tell him we're  
from Japan... our husbands were engineers. We aren't workers... we were   
just sent over here as advisors." She glanced at Darien. "That's why  
we're dressed like this."  
  
Mina translated the answer, and the Colonel seemed satisfied.  
"This fellow must have been left to guard the women when the Union  
attacked." He hooked a thumb at Darian. He paused a moment, then nodded  
to Lieutenant Kelley. "Find a tent to put them in. We'll have to find  
out what happened to their unit and send them back to it."  
  
He then grinned at Sailor Venus. "Just make sure there's nothing  
flammable in the tent..."  
  
Mina blushed and looked at the ground as the Colonel walked away.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Artemis kept low as he crept through the grass at the edge of the  
camp. It had been an easy matter to escape from General Devin. He might  
have been a powerful extra-dimensional being with the ability to  
control time itself, but he couldn't outrun a cat in a tent full of  
furniture. And since the Dominator couldn't use his powers while the  
cook was standing there watching...  
  
He'd slipped out from under the tent and headed for the edge of  
the camp. If the General came after him now, he'd have to find him in  
the tall weeds, and Artemis was making sure that would be difficult, at  
best. At the moment, he wasn't sensing any evil in the area. He felt  
certain that he'd lost his pursuer.  
  
Up ahead, Artemis noticed a group of horses, corralled behind a  
makeshift fence. This was clearly what served as the stables for the  
camp. The cat chuckled to himself as an idea began to form.  
  
Dropping low, Artemis began to slink through the weeds, making  
sure to rustle them as he passed. The horses turned to look at him, but  
he stayed low. Several of them turned back to their feed, or whatever  
else had interested them before they heard the noise in the woods, but  
most of them were watching carefully in his direction.  
  
He began to stir up the weeds more, tracing a zig-zag path towards  
them, as if stalking them. Several of the horses began to snort and paw  
the ground. Artemis made his way to a tree and leaped up into it,  
staying behind the tree, so the horses could not see him, but shaking  
the limbs at he leaped up it.   
  
As he reached a thick limb near the top, he inched out along it,  
using its width to shield him from the horses. He needed to be as close  
as possible for this. Of course, it wouldn't take the full power of a  
Mind Meld to contact their minds, but it never hurt to make sure.  
  
He concentrated. After a few moments to recall how he'd spread his  
Mind Meld, to protect the Sailor Scouts from the Shadows' Dark Dome, he  
began to feel the golden warmth diffusing through his fur. Summoning a  
mental image, he sent it directly into the minds of the horses.  
  
The horses all saw a mountain lion drop on them from the tree.  
  
Within seconds, there was complete pandemoneum. The horses reared,  
and then charged through the fence to escape from the imagined foe. The  
makeshift collection of wood scraps and bits of wire was torn to shreds  
as the horses set off across the camp in a stampede. Soldiers came out  
to find out what was going on, only to have to leap aside to keep from  
being trampled.  
  
Artemis grinned. That worked pretty well...  
  
* * * * *  
  
The Sailor Scouts all sat around quietly, as Lieutenant Kelley  
watched them. He would get up and walk to the tent flap from time to  
time, but then return to his bench and sit down.   
  
"We can't just keep sitting here..." Sailor Moon said. "We have to  
DO something..."  
  
"Patience," Sailor Mars said. She got up and walked over to Sailor  
Moon, sitting down next to her. "We'll get our chance."  
  
Serena nodded, but Raye smiled at her. "For what it's worth,  
though... I'm as tired of this as you are..."  
  
As the two girls giggled, Sailor Jupiter edged over to sit next to  
Kelley. She sort of stared at him, with a faraway look in her eyes.  
  
The Lieutenant looked at the tent flap, then glanced back at  
Jupiter. "What's your name?" he asked. "You do understand that much  
English, don't you?"  
  
She nodded. "Lita."   
  
"You must miss your husband very much..." he said.  
  
Lita blinked. "Husband?" Then, remembering, "Oh... no husband.   
Brother... Darien." She pointed at him, grinning to herself. It had  
worked for Amy, after all...  
  
"Ah..." He smiled at her. "I thought you were being a little  
forward..."  
  
Lita smiled back, confused, but happy that he was talking to her.  
She then frowned as he looked at Sailor Venus.  
  
"And your name's Mina, right?"  
  
She nodded, and Kelley looked back at Lita. "You two trust me...  
don't you?"  
  
Mina glanced at Amy. "Um..."   
  
"You know that... if there was anything I could have done... to  
stop the Colonel..."  
  
Lita looked at Mina, and then back up at him. "I... trust... you."  
  
He stared at her for a moment. "Look... I used to work with the  
railroad. I've still got contacts. If a unit of engineers was brought  
down here to work on the railroads, I would have heard about it. I told  
the General you were okay because I don't think you're working for the  
North. But you are NOT what you say you are..."  
  
He glanced at Lita again, and then at Mina. "So what's going on?  
Not as soldier to prisoner, not as American to Japanese, just as one  
person to another... WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?" 


	13. An Ally... And Defeat

Sailor Moon: On The Edge Of Yesterday  
  
Chapter Thirteen: An Ally... And Defeat  
  
  
"Look, you're going to have to trust someone," Lieutenant Kelley  
said, as the Sailor Scouts stared at him. "You might as well trust me.  
For what it's worth... when the fighting starts, I'll get you out of  
here." He glanced at Sailor Jupiter, who was still not sure of what he   
was saying. But she smiled, anyway. "No one will miss you after the  
battle's over..."  
  
He then looked back at Darian. "But I've been able to make out   
some of what you've been saying. Not much... about as well as you   
understand me, I guess, but enough to know that there's trouble here.   
You're not Union spies, I know that. You're not here about our War...   
but you are here for a reason. I want to know what that is."  
  
Tux stared at him, in silence, for a moment, until Kelley's  
expression turned stern. "I DESERVE to know what that is, dammit! My  
LIFE is at stake!"  
  
Darien nodded. "You're right. You do deserve the truth."  
  
"Darien!" Mercury hissed, but she was too late. "We are here," He  
continued, "to fight a great enemy. You would call them demons. You may  
not believe in such things... but we do."  
  
The Lieutenant nodded. "I know enough about your people to know  
that you take the idea of demons seriously. I don't know if I believe  
in them -- but I do know that you do. Go ahead."  
  
"These demons are here to... to make things happen that shouldn't  
happen. I can't say any more than that."  
  
Kelley frowned for a moment. "You mean the General's plan to take  
Vicksburg. The demons are going to help us..."  
  
Before he could finish his statement, there was a commotion from   
outside. Kelley ran to the tent flap and opened it, looking out over  
the camp. Tuxedo Mask and the Scouts, coming up behind him, could see  
soldiers running wildly about the camp, and hear the crack of gunfire.  
There were flashes of light, and explosions in the distance.  
  
"What's going on?" Darien asked.  
  
"The horses got loose," Kelley answered. "The noise must have  
alerted the Union camp. They're attacking."  
  
He charged out of the tent, with his new allies right behind him.  
"Here's your chance... Ya'll make a run for it. I'll tell the Colonel  
you escaped in the confusion."  
  
Darien shook his head. "We are at least partly responsible for  
this... we can't run now."  
  
The Lieutenant paused, drawing up short as he looked at Darien.  
"We ain't supposed to win at Vicksburg, are we? I've been... well...  
I've had a bad feelin' about this since we made camp. Maybe I knew the  
truth all along."  
  
"Look!" Sailor Moon shouted. She pointed, and several yards away,  
they could see General Devin, with the Colonel and the Major, standing  
with their backs to the battle. The General's eyes glowed a bright  
purple, and the two men who flanked him stood slack-jawed, staring  
blankly ahead as if in a trance.  
  
As the General gestured, and his unwilling charges chanted some  
nonsense that only they understood, a glowing circle of light appeared  
in front of them. The wind began to pick up, lifting up leaves and  
debris from the ground, and swirling it around in a wide circle. Some  
of the soldiers, caught in the sudden storm, stopped their fighting to   
run out of the way, but for the most part, the battle went unabated.  
  
"General..." Sailor Moon said in English, still pointing at him.  
"He... possessed! Must stop!"  
  
Kelley nodded. "Yes. I know. Can you stop him?"  
  
"We can try," Tux answered.  
  
"Then do it." He unslung his rifle. "I'll keep the others back, keep   
them from interfering. You do what you have to do."  
  
Sailor Jupiter suddenly burst into tears, grabbing Kelley in a   
fierce hug. "Thank... you... I wish..."  
  
He ran a hand down along her face. "Yeah... me too..."  
  
The Lieutenant ran off into the crowd, driving the soldiers away  
from the portal, as the Scouts turned to face their enemy. Sailor Moon  
pointed her scepter at him. "All right! This insanity ends now!"  
  
"Scouts! Form a Planetary attack!" Luna yelled.  
  
"On the General, or the portal?" Mercury asked. She was scanning  
the gate, now, her visor once again over her eyes as she studied the  
readings on her computer. "The General is clearly powering it, but I  
read a connection between him and the portal. If we sever it..."  
  
"Attack the General!" Luna answered. "If we can cut the source of  
power, the gate may close on its own!"  
  
As the glowing window of light continued to open, they could  
actually begin to see something on the other side of it. It was a city,  
glowing with light. "Crystal Tokyo..." Sailor Pluto muttered. But the  
other Sailor Scouts had already linked hands, in a circle.  
  
"MERCURY! STAR! POWER!" "VENUS! STAR! POWER!" "MARS! STAR! POWER"  
"JUPITER! STAR! POWER!"  
  
Sailor Moon closed her eyes, as the power flowed into her. She  
could feel her friends' love, their faith in her, as the energy built  
to a critical point. She opened her eyes, and looked at the General. He  
was smiling. He'd noticed them, he knew what they were doing, so why   
wasn't he attacking?  
  
"Don't hit the Dominator!" Mercury shouted. "Hit the Colonel and   
the Major! NOW!!!"  
  
The General suddenly turned on them, with a roar, as Sailor Moon  
turned her head, to look at the two men that stood numbly at his side.   
"NO!!!" The Dominator called out, his body erupting in a field of purple   
fire, but Sailor Moon was already calling out the words that would add  
her power to theirs:  
  
"MOON! CRYSTAL! POWER!!!!!"  
  
"SAILOR!!! PLANET!!! POWER!!!!!"  
  
The discharge of blinding energy forked out in two beams of light,  
each striking the two men. As they were blasted across the battlefield,  
collapsing to the ground like a pair of rag dolls, the General doubled  
over in agony. The portal flickered, and started to fade, and the body  
that the Dominator had assumed twisted and distorted, and then took on  
the roiling form of energy that was the demon's natural form.  
  
"*NOW* HIT THE GENERAL!"  
  
The beam snapped back into a single blast, which swept across the  
Dominator in a torrent. It roared again, trying to retain its hold on  
the world, but it could not escape the overwhelming energy that held it  
pinned. It exploded, with a report that drowned out the much smaller   
explosions of the cannon and gunfire around them.  
  
But from the portal, there was another eruption of purple light.  
The gateway suddenly snapped back open again, and began to grow to  
several times the size it had been before. "YOU HAVE NOT WON, SAILOR  
SCOUTS!" A voice told them. "ONCE THE PORTAL WAS OPENED, IT BECAME  
POSSIBLE FOR ME TO HOLD IT OPEN, FROM *THIS* SIDE!"  
  
The Sailor Scouts all took a step back, as a form began to move  
out of the portal. It was many times the size of the Dominator they   
had just faced, and didn't bother to try and form a man-shaped body. It  
just hung in the air in front of them, a roiling, seething cloud of  
purple energy, with two huge purple eyes, which seemed to move about  
inside its depth.  
  
"NO, SAILOR SCOUTS. YOU HAVE NOT WON. IN FACT... YOU HAVE ALREADY  
LOST!!!!!"  
  
Five bodies dropped from the maelstrom, five broken and bloodied  
bodies, which fell in a heap to the ground below. Four of them were  
Sailor Mercury, Sailor Venus, Sailor Jupiter, and Sailor Mars. The  
fifth was a young girl, maybe ten or eleven, with pink hair. And she  
was wearing the costume of Sailor Moon.  
  
"It's... It's... US!" Venus's voice was hushed, her eyes wide as  
she stared at the bodies that had been dropped in front of them.  
  
"SMALL LADY!" Sailor Pluto called out. She started to run to the  
little girl in Sailor Moon's costume, but took a step back as the huge  
Dominator moved towards her.  
  
"Who?" Sailor Moon asked.  
  
"Your daughter." Sailor Mercury stared at their duplicates through  
her visor, her expression serious. "They're from the future -- OUR  
future. They look to be about twenty, although my readings suggest  
they're actually older than that."  
  
"You mean... they're our future selves... like we were to our past  
selves, back in Ancient Japan?" Sailor Jupiter stared at herself  
intently. "Are we... dead?"  
  
Mercury shook her head. "Not yet."  
  
"THEY SOON WILL BE!" The Dominator cut in. "AS WILL YOU!!!"  
  
A wave of black energy shot out of the massive form, and swept  
over the Scouts. It solidified into a black bubble, and the Sailor  
Scouts all doubled over in pain.  
  
"Not again..." Sailor Jupiter hissed between her teeth.   
  
"Yeah..." Sailor Mercury gasped. "I'm starting to get tired of  
this..."  
  
"I hope... I can remember... what Artemis did..." Luna managed.  
She closed her eyes, and the golden glow began to surround her. Sailor  
Pluto joined her, and the other Sailor Scouts pulled themselves to  
their feet, as the darkness was forced away.  
  
Sailor Venus suddenly started. "Artemis!" She whispered, then  
looked up at the Dominator, putting a hand over her mouth. Her cat had   
found its way to the future Venus, and was crouched behind her body,   
hidden from the Dominator's view.   
  
As Sailor Mercury glanced up at Venus, and then over at the fallen   
future Scouts, she met Artemis's gaze. Her blue eyes glittered, and she   
suddenly smiled. "Our enemy has made a mistake..." She muttered darkly.   
  
"What do you mean?" Sailor Mars asked. Mercury put up a hand, then  
returned to her computer. Her expression was intense, as she worked at  
the tiny keyboard, shaking her head from time to time as something she  
tried failed to work.  
  
"Come on, Mercury... There's only a few passwords I would use...   
YES!" The little genius grinned wickedly, staring at her readouts. "Just   
as I thought... they've got a direct link to the time stream."  
  
"What's going on?" Sailor Moon asked.  
  
"I've made a connection to my future self's computer, and  
downloaded all the information she's collected on the Dominators.  
Apparently, this all started when Sailor Pluto inadvertantly led a  
Dominator to the Time Gate, the source of her power. It was able to   
gain control of the Gate, turning it into THIS thing..."  
  
"A few minutes ago, she and the other Sailor Scouts formed a  
Planetary Attack, and attacked the Dominator with it. It was able to  
divert the power into the time stream, making itself even MORE  
powerful." She looked up at the fallen Sailor Scouts, outside the  
bubble. "After that, they were defeated easily."  
  
"So if we'd attacked the General..."  
  
Mercury nodded. "It would have made him more powerful, yes. I  
suspected something like this. But he was drawing power from the  
Colonel and the Major's life force to open the portal. When we blasted  
them..."  
  
Moon's eyes widened. She looked out at the two soldiers, who still  
lay still in the grass. "You mean... I..."  
  
"They were already dead, Sailor Moon," Mercury told her. "Their  
life energy was exhausted in opening the portal."  
  
Sailor Moon looked away, clenching her fists. Then she looked back  
at Sailor Mercury. "How do we STOP this thing?"  
  
Mercury returned to her computer. "We have to close that portal.  
Until we do, no matter what we do to the Dominator, it will be able to  
shunt the energy into the time stream..."  
  
"GIVE UP, SAILOR SCOUTS!" The Dominator called out. "NOW THAT YOU  
KNOW WHAT YOU FACE, YOU KNOW THAT YOU CANNOT DEFEAT ME!!!"  
  
"I'll NEVER give up!" Sailor Moon answered. "As long as there's  
life in me, there will ALWAYS be hope!"  
  
"That's the spirit!" Tux told her, grinning. "We can beat this  
thing, if we all hit it at once!"  
  
"Not through the field, we can't..." Mercury said, "but you are  
right. We CAN defeat it. But it will take ALL of us..."  
  
"Sailor Moon... if you and Sailor Pluto combine your power, you  
can close that gate. Not immediately," Mercury looked up at the  
Dominator through the opaque blackness of the bubble. "but I have an  
idea..."  
  
"I need a distraction."  
  
Moon and Pluto nodded to each other. "We can't wait here in this  
bubble for the inevitable," Sailor Moon said. "Let's do it."  
  
There was a flare of power as Serena transformed into the  
Princess, and then she raised her locket. "MOON! CRYSTAL! POWER!!!" The  
glow of the Crystal erupted with white light, and joined with the red  
light of Pluto's staff, as she raised it above her head. The brightness  
began to push back the Dominator's darkness.  
  
"WHAT!" The mass of blackness redoubled its efforts, sending dark  
tendrils of energy into the dome. Beneath its cover, Sailor Mercury hit  
a key on her computer.  
  
Artemis jumped straight up in the air, as the future Mercury's  
visor short circuited, sending sparks shooting into the air. The little  
Scout cried out, her body tensing as a massive jolt of electricity tore  
through her, but then she blinked and looked around.  
  
Artemis put a paw to his lips, then gestured above his head.  
Mercury looked up at the Dominator above them, then at the dark bubble  
it was directing its energy at. Then her eyes met those of her double,  
inside the dome.  
  
She smiled as a message flashed across her visor. "Wake...  
Venus..." she whispered, to Artemis, as she crawled towards Sailor  
Mars. "We have to... help... the others..."  
  
The cat immediately leaped onto Sailor Venus's back, and began  
digging his claws into her shoulder. She woke up immediately -- but  
then, Artemis knew quite well how to wake Mina up out of a sound sleep.  
"Wake up Sailor Jupiter," He said. "Your past selves have been pinned  
down by the Dominator that almost finished you."  
  
"What?" Venus sat up. Mercury and Mars had managed to shake Chibi  
Moon awake, and Venus crawled over towards Sailor Jupiter.  
  
"WAIT! YOU HAVE TRICKED ME!" The Dominator had noticed the  
movement below, and was turning to face the older Scouts. Inside the  
bubble, Sailor Mercury shouted a warning.  
  
"MERCURY! BUBBLES! BLAST!!!" In the bubble, the younger Mercury  
was a little comforted to know that even with years of experience  
behind her, her future self still found the protective attack the one  
that was most useful. The future Scouts faded from view as the fog   
spread over the area around the dark dome.  
  
"Luna..." She said. "Now... it's up to you and Artemis. You've got  
to use your Mind Meld, through the Time Gate, and make contact with  
Serena's future self, in Crystal Tokyo. If she can add her power to  
that of the Princess, here..."  
  
"Yes..." Sailor Pluto nodded. "And the power of Sailor Moon, and  
the Serena of the PAST, as well!"  
  
"You've got to be the link," Sailor Mercury said. "My other self  
is already telling Artemis the same thing..."  
  
Luna nodded. "I'll try my best..." She closed her eyes, and a thin  
beam of energy shot out towards Serena, who still stood holding her  
Crystal out before her. Luna gritted her teeth, concentrating, but for   
a moment, nothing seemed to happen.  
  
"I can't... get through... the field..." She muttered.  
  
"Artemis is trying, too. Keep it up. Try and meet him... halfway."  
  
Luna grunted, sweat beginning to form on her forehead, but  
suddenly her fur erupted with golden light. Just as before, the soft,  
diffuse light enveloped her, and suddenly Serena's Crystal began to  
glow brighter.  
  
*Artemis!*  
  
*I'm here...*  
  
Outside the bubble, a pencil thin beam of light formed in front of  
Artemis's eyes, and shot into the portal. He gasped at a backlash of  
power from the other side, but somehow kept the beam going. The roiling  
form of the Dominator somehow managed to convey a sense that it was  
looking down at him, but kept up its attack on the Princess.  
  
"THIS WILL NOT SAVE YOU!" He roared. "YOU DIE! NOW!!!" 


	14. Backlash

Sailor Moon: On The Edge Of Yesterday  
  
Chapter Fourteen: Backlash  
  
  
Serena cried out as a tendril of black snaked out at her, from the  
inside of the dome. Somehow, though, she managed to drive it away, the  
energy from her Crystal, and from Pluto's staff, growing brighter all  
the time. She was beginning to tremble, however, and whimper, as the  
strain grew greater as well. The sheer power that she was weilding was  
making her hair whip about her wildly, and the other Scouts were  
finding it hard to look at the blinding intensity of the light.  
  
Mercury looked down at her computer. "Maybe the rest of us can  
join with our counterparts, too..." She said. She began typing commands  
into her computer. "If I can network all my computers together, maybe  
we can scan the time stream... find that Planetary Attack that was lost  
in there."  
  
"Well, I don't know what else *I* can do," Sailor Jupiter said,  
"but if it's my strength she needs, then I'll give it to her." She  
closed her eyes, concentrating, and outside, her counterpart did the  
same. The glow that enveloped Luna brightened, and her link to Serena  
grew wider.  
  
Venus and Mars both nodded. "We're with you!" And next to the  
Princess, Darien transformed into the Prince, and placed a hand on her  
shoulder. He, Serena, and Sailor Pluto now seemed to be glowing with  
the sheer intensity of the power flowing through them.  
  
Outside, Artemis gritted his teeth. The power using his body and  
Luna's as a conduit was almost too much for him to stand. Every nerve  
in his body felt like it was on fire, and he could feel his fur  
standing on end, from the static charge he was building up.   
  
*Don't give up!* A voice said in his mind. *We are with you.* He  
felt his strength returning, even as he recognized the voice as his  
own.   
  
*I'm tempted to ask you for next week's lottery numbers...* He  
quipped. A ripple of quiet chuckles returned to him through the link.  
  
"WE CAN'T TAKE THIS MUCH LONGER!!!" Sailor Pluto called out, as  
the Dominator directed the full force of its energy at them. "Even with  
the power of Queen Serenity on our side, and all of the Sailor Scouts  
through time, the Dominator is STILL drawing HIS power from time  
itself!"  
  
"Then there's one more card to play!" Readouts flickered across  
Mercury's visor, some so complex that the display was beginning to turn  
red from the overload signals. "I'll have to fill in the gaps in the  
equations in my head..." she muttered, then keyed a sequence into her  
computer.  
  
"MERCURY!" She yelled to herself, forgetting in the heat of the  
moment both Artemis's link, and the computer. "SAILOR PLANETARY ATTACK!   
NOW!"  
  
The Dominator's glowing eyes turned to look at them, as the future  
Sailor Scouts all joined hands. The power built up around them, as the  
Princess's daughter took her place at their head, and intoned the phrase   
Serena herself had used moments before:  
  
"MOON! CRYSTAL! POWER!"  
  
A tendril of energy diverted itself from the Dark Dome, as the  
Dominator readied itself for the attack, but before the Sailor Scouts  
could even move, a blast of intense white energy suddenly poured forth  
from the portal.   
  
"WHAT????" The Dominator turned, then roared in agony as the lost  
Planetary Attack leaped from the portal, and smashed into it. The demon  
reeled back from the force of the assault, its Dark Dome flickering  
slightly.  
  
"SAILOR! PLANET! POWER!!!!!"  
  
Distracted by the attack from behind, the Dominator had dropped  
its guard, and the second Planetary Attack struck it dead center. The  
Dark Dome flickered again, and then faded, as the Dominator crashed to  
the ground, its roiling form beginning to waver.  
  
A beam of pink energy shot out of Serena, and smashed into the  
portal. The Dominator screamed, as if in horrible pain, and began to  
shrink dramatically.  
  
* * * * *  
  
In 1969, Sailor Pluto cowered against a wall, as the Mystic  
Shadows closed in on her. She brandished her scepter in front of her,  
determined to take at least some of them down with her, but she knew  
that she had no chance. She looked up at the spot where the portal had  
vanished. At least the other Sailor Scouts were safe...  
  
To her amazement, the portal suddenly snapped open again. Sailor  
Moon leaped from it, the other Sailor Scouts at her side... including  
Sailor Pluto! Pluto smiled as her rescuers tore into the Shadows, their  
attacks now working all too well against the shadowy demons.  
  
* * * * *  
  
In ancient Japan, Sailor Mars stumbled through the hallways of the  
palace of Shogun Takuji, grunting at the pain, as she made her way  
towards the throne room. She suddenly stepped back, stunned, as a  
portal of light formed in front of her. The Sailor Scouts leaped from  
it, led by a small child that looked like a younger, pink-haired  
version of Serena!  
  
As the Scouts raced down the passage to face the Shadow, one of  
them stopped to help. To her shock, Mars realized that the person who  
was helping her was HERSELF! "One of these days," the black-haired lady  
said with a grin, "You'll realize that you push yourself too hard..."  
  
* * * * *  
  
In 24th Century Crystal Tokyo, Sailor Pluto stared at the gateway   
of time. There was a strange energy at work... something she had never   
seen before. Just as she prepared to open the gate, however, just as it  
opened by the tiniest amount, a telepathic call stopped her.  
  
It was if a thousand voices, all at once, were calling out to her,  
warning her of a great danger.  
  
She quickly closed the portal, and grabbing her scepter, ran down  
the hallway to Neo-Queen Serenity's throne room.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Serena cried out in pain as her Crystal flared, with a light so  
intense that no one could stand to look at it. The light swept over the  
Dominator, now back to his normal size, and picked him up. The energy  
wrapped around him like a shell, pinning him, and although the mass of  
darkness struggled and tried to break free, it could not escape.  
  
The demon was flung into the time stream, and the Princess could  
see him, as he was drawn back to the extradimensional gateway that he  
had come through. She saw forced back through the doorway, along with  
several more of his kind. The doors then slammed shut, and were sealed  
behind him.  
  
The brilliant light then returned, pouring out of the gateway with  
a brightness ten times what it had been before. It quickly swept over  
the future Scouts, wiping them out of existance, and then rolling on,  
towards their younger selves.  
  
"NOW, EVERYTHING WILL BE SET TO RIGHT!" Serena called out, over  
the din of the approaching energy wave.   
  
"THAT'S RIGHT!" Mars answered. "YOU DID IT, SAILOR MOON!"  
  
"*WE* DID IT!" Mercury countered. "WE DID IT TOGETHER!!!"  
  
But just before the light overwhelmed her, Mercury blinked away an  
unexpected tear. "Kei..." she whispered. "I won't be able to keep my  
promise not to forget you..."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Five young girls stood on the deck of a small boat, looking out  
over a peaceful blue sea. Darien blinked, putting up a hand to shield  
his eyes from the sun. For a moment, he thought he saw a shape on the  
water. Something like a... dinosaur? He laughed. No, that couldn't  
be...  
  
"Did... anyone... feel something?" Raye asked. She looked out over  
the water, as well. Mina came up behind her, and peered out in the  
direction the others were looking, but she could see nothing.  
  
"Do you sense something?" Amy asked her.  
  
"Mmmm..." Raye frowned for a moment. "No. No, I guess not."  
  
"Come on, Raye, we're supposed to be on holiday!" Mina put in, as  
Amy pulled out her computer. "... Going to Hokkiado, remember? You're  
bringing us down!"  
  
"Sorry. I didn't mean to spoil the mood."   
  
"Well, there's nothing around," Amy said, studying her computer.  
"Although... My computer seems to be running a little faster. Like its  
had an upgrade or something."  
  
"Maybe the vacation did it good, too," Lita suggested. Amy  
giggled.  
  
"Well, since I brought us all down, I think I need to get this  
party going again. I'll fire up the old boom box..." Raye started up  
the ladder to the upper deck.  
  
Serena gave a sigh of satisfaction, leaning against Darien's arm.  
"I'm glad you invited us on this trip," she said. "I wish it could be  
calm and peaceful like this ALL the time..."  
  
* * * * *  
  
In 24th Century Crystal Tokyo, Sailor Pluto stared at the image of  
a small boat in the ocean, through the portal of her Time Gate. She  
smiled at Serena's happy comment. "I hope you get that wish, Princess,"  
she said. "You'll never know how much you did for us... How close we  
came to seeing the end of everything."  
  
She smiled, and closed the gate.  
  
As she walked into the throne room, Serena sat on her throne,  
holding her daughter close to her, in her lap. Darien stood close by,  
and the Sailor Scouts chatted happily on one side of the room. Pluto  
joined her Queen at the throne, as Serena gestured for her to join  
them.  
  
"They are fine, my Queen." She said. "Happy."  
  
"Good," Serenity said with a smile. "We have much to thank them  
for. I wish them a bright and happy future."  
  
"But... if they're you... can't you just thank yourselves?" Reeny  
looked up at her mother, confused.  
  
Darien laughed. "Not really. After all, we don't know that their  
future is the same as ours..."  
  
"I don't understand."  
  
"Don't worry about it, dear." Serena gave her daughter a hug.  
"Just be happy."  
  
* * * * *  
  
On the American submarine "Hunter", patrolling the waters off  
Japan, in 1945, Ensign Bell took a few moments to update his journal.  
They'd just finished investigating a Japanese base on Hokkiado, where  
they had heard a secret base was hidden. But it turned out to be only a  
rumor.  
  
"I had dream..." he wrote, "about a dark-haired woman that I  
loved. But I guess it was just that... a dream."  
  
He closed his journal. Their patrol would end in a few weeks, and  
then he could get some needed R&R. And maybe this war would end soon  
after that.  
  
* * * * *  
  
In sixth century Japan warlord Togonara Kei stood on the walls of  
Kyoto, and stared out at the moon. The battlefield below was quiet now,  
but the forces of Shogun Takuji had won this fight, and the Emperor's  
men were driven away from the city. Someday, they would overthrow the  
Emperor, and lead Japan into a new age.  
  
"So, why do I feel... so alone?" He asked himself. "Why do I feel  
as if a part of me is missing?" He wiped away a tear, then gazed back  
up at the moon, as it shone coldly over the parapets of his city.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Lieutenant Kelley flung his dufflebag over his shoulder and  
stepped towards the platform. He didn't know why he was still alive.  
His entire platoon had died at Vicksburg, and yet he had survived. He  
never considered himself a coward, or a deserter, and yet, he couldn't  
escape the feeling that he'd been given a second chance at life.   
  
His attention was drawn to the sound of crying, off to one side of  
the station. He jumped off the platform, and found a young oriental  
girl, crouched in the grass by the tracks. It was clear that she had  
been crying for some time.   
  
"What's wrong?" He asked, in Chinese.   
  
She looked up at him. She had gorgeous green eyes, and long brown  
hair, that somehow reminded him of someone. He couldn't think who. "You  
speak my language?" she asked, a bit stunned.   
  
Kelley nodded. "What's wrong?" he asked her again.  
  
"I don't have any money," she answered him. "I want to go home...  
My husband brought me here when he came to work on the railroad. But he  
was killed..."  
  
She broke down sobbing again, and Kelley knelt at her side,  
putting an arm around her. "I'll tell you what... I've been trying to  
decide where I want to go. What say I help you get back to China?"  
  
"You'd do that for me?"  
  
"Why not? You can tell I know some about your country... I've  
always wanted to visit there. And I have no reason to stay here. Maybe  
I'll decide I want to live there... who knows?"  
  
He put his arm around the Chinese woman and helped her to her  
feet. They climbed back onto the platform together, and waited there  
for their train.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Serena and Darian held each other, looking out at the sea. On the  
deck behind them, the other Sailor Scouts relaxed, enjoying the sun,  
and the beautiful day. "What a great trip!" Serena said contentedly. "I  
really needed a vacation!"  
  
"A vacation from what?" Raye answered her back. "It's not like you  
ever do any studying!"  
  
Serena stuck her tongue out at her, and Raye quickly followed  
suit. Mina and Leta glanced at each other, rolling their eyes  
heavenward.  
  
"Hey... there's someone who's studying..." Mina commented. She  
pointed at Amy, who was sitting on a deck chair, with a book in her  
lap.  
  
Amy was not studying, however. She was drawing in a sketchbook.  
Before the little genius could look up, Mina had grabbed the book. A  
mischievous smile spread over her face at she looked over the picture  
Amy had been working on.  
  
"Oo! It's a guy!" As Amy leapt to her feet, protesting, and  
turning a vivid shade of red, Mina showed the picture to her friends.  
  
Leta chuckled. "I wish MY schoolwork looked like that."  
  
"He's cute!" Mina added.  
  
"Amy's got a boyfriend!" Serena sang out, from the railing, and  
Darian laughed.  
  
"Oh, cut it out..." Amy muttered. She reached for the sketchpad,  
but Mina was already passing it on to Raye. "Give me that back!"  
  
"This is pretty good," Raye said. "I didn't know you could  
draw..."  
  
Amy looked down at her feet. "Oh, I just get the urge to draw  
something, every now and then. I'm not all that good."  
  
"Oh, I think it's pretty good, too," Leta put in. "Is it anybody  
we know?"  
  
Amy's blush returned. "No... no. I've never seen him before... In  
a dream, maybe..."  
  
"Oooo..." Mina giggled. "It's Amy's dream guy..."  
  
Incredibly, Amy turned even redder. "It's nothing like that. He's  
just... somebody I felt like drawing..."  
  
"Well, you're really good," Raye said with a smile. "You should  
draw more often!"  
  
"Do you think so?" Raye nodded, and Amy looked down at her pad.  
She stared at the picture of Togonara Kei for a few more moments, then  
closed the book.  
  
"Maybe I will..." she said. "But right now, I have more important  
things to do..."  
  
"Like studying, right?" Serena guessed, with an exaggerated sigh.  
  
Amy put her arms around her friends, and led them all over to join  
Serena. "RIGHT!"  
  
The five young girls stood together at the railing, joking and  
laughing -- happy -- just because they were all together. 


End file.
